Keys to the Quays: Flagship Cobh waterfront property on sale for €5m

Bar and restaurant could float your boat as it comes with a private pontoon and bird's-eye cruise liner views

Thu, 08 Sep, 2022 - 14:48

Catherine Shanahan Pictures: KC3D Tours

A FLAGSHIP bar and restaurant in Cobh with unrivalled waterfrontage and a bird’s eye view of arriving cruise liners is up for sale with a guide price of €5m.

The recently-extended, newly-refurbished The Quays has the unique advantage of a private commercial pontoon and outdoor seating, built out over the harbour, following an ambitious extension and refurbishment project in 2019, which owner Noel Owens said cost in the region of €1m. It involved pile-driving into the harbour by builder Anthony Stromsoe.

The property, at 17 Westbourne Place, includes a bar and indoor restaurant, an adjoining canopied seating area with retractable roof and walls, an outdoor seating area and BBQ facilities right over the harbour, as well as a recently-extended kitchen, a new nautically-themed toilet block and a 33m private pontoon.

At a level above, and with a separate entrance from Westbourne Place, additional quarters accommodate the cleaning/washing generated by the kitchen/restaurant (linked by dumb waiter), as well as an office, a storage room, staff toilet and a keg room.

The entire property is across 0.01 hectares, while the indoor restaurant/bar extends to 108 sq m. In the region of 30 CCTV cameras aid security.

Mr Owens, who bought the property derelict for €800,000 18 years ago, said it’s a thriving business, serving upto 500 meals a day during peak summer season this year, with a turnover in July/August of up to €0.5m. Because of Covid closures, 2022 will be its first full year of trading since the makeover.

The premises is perfectly positioned to capitalize on cruise liner arrivals, as well as visitors arriving to Cobh by commuter rail, as it’s just a two minute walk from the train station.

As The Quays is the only commercial premises in town to have a private pontoon, it’s also popular with the yachting fraternity who can tie up boats if dining at the restaurant, with free overnight berthage. In addition, the pontoon is used by Cork Harbour Boat Hire as the departure point for its popular self-drive boats, for which they pay The Quays €6,000 a year.

Customers of Cork Boat Hire frequent The Quays too. The pontoon operates from April to September and is stored at the Port of Cork outside those months. The annual license fee, paid to the Department of the Marine, is €2,500.

Mr Owens said The Quays, which can cater for circa 200 diners, does very well from corporate events, family milestone celebrations and visitors to the town, as well as the local trade. It has a staff of 30, mainly part-time.

He said its harbourside location means diners can enjoy all of the waterside activity, which includes arriving cruise liners and yacht-racing.

Johanna Murphy of Johanna Murphy and Sons is the selling agent and she said The Quays is a “terrific, turnkey operation, superbly connected to the harbour”.

“Whether you sit inside or outside , you have a vista of the cruise liners, with about 120 due in next year," she said

“Not only do you get the passengers and crew, but also the spectators who travel around the country to see these amazing vessels,” she added.

Ms Murphy said having the pontoon was "priceless" and a "key selling point", along with The Quays proximity to the town centre and the railway station.

Cobh from the water. Picture David Creedon

Mr Owens, who trained at the Ritz in London and is planning an early retirement with his wife Margaret, who helps run the business, said The Quays is busy seven days a week.

“This is a flagship property. You could be amazed at who might pick it up,” he said.

He added that business is "booming" in Cobh at the moment, with a big pick-up in tourist numbers in the wake of the subsiding pandemic.