ACHIEVEMENTS: AWARD WINNING IRISH PUB (HIGHEST SALES OF GUINNESS IN GERMANY)

WHAT THEY DO REALLY WELL: ADAPT TO SUIT THEIR CUSTOMERS BY PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS HONED TO SUIT THEIR NEEDS.

OUR CONNECTION: ONE OF OUR LONGEST CLIENTS (1999), WE ARE DESIGNERS FOR ALL THEIR PREMISES

RECENT BRIEF: REVIST AND UPGRADE THE PUB TO KEEP IT VIBRANT AND RELEVANT

It’s always interesting to revisit a pub we have designed and O’Reilly’s in Frankfurt was a real pleasure because of the success it has had.

HOW O’REILLYS FRANKFURT CAME ABOUT

In 2001 Pierre Doyle spent quite a bit of time in Frankfurt looking for an ideal site for a new Irish Pub. The site he chose would seem to be off track to most people as there were were few pubs or restaurants in the area. After spending a few weeks studying the site and counting footfall from a local restaurant window, he realised that there were many reasons that made this a great location. First of all it had a huge presence on a corner which would give it high visibility. It was opposite the main train station in Frankfurt where customers could fall right into its lap as they left the train station. And finally it was a few minutes away from the Frankfurt Messe, one of the largest exhibition centers in Germany. And how right Pierre was about the location….Over the last 12 years O’Reillys, Frankfurt has consistently had the highest sales of Guinness in a pub in Germany and it has received numerous awards.

THE DESIGN AND LAYOUT

With an area of almost 500 square meters O’Reilly’s was designed to cater for differing offers in one venue. It has snugs, a dining area, sports screens, a smoking area and even a pool table area. It’s most dramatic space is probably its centre piece, a circular dining room with a backlit celtic stained glass dome and curtains which close off the space as a full circular room. Another clever detail is the folding doors to the front of the building which in the summertime open up to reveal the pub and makes the customers feel like they are sitting outside – critical for any pub in Germany in the warm weather.

CHANGING OFFER

Over a year ago the Doyle’s asked us to come back and look at the pub, 12 years after our original fit out. We were to study the pub with a view to refreshing it and giving it a facelift. It had worked well with few changes but now they had developed a large Kareoke following and the Pool table area was becoming more popular with big sports nights. The circular dining room was now catering for private functions. The Doyle’s had developed their offer to suit their customers needs and the design needed some tweaking to blend seamlessly with these activities.

DESIGNING AROUND A BRAND

For the Kareoke The CEOL room area we designed that a dramatic stage backdrop with “O’Reillys Live” logo clearly visible so that when people photograph or video their friends and put it on social media, the O’Reilly’s brand is clearly visible. For the sports area we removed the pool tables and gave the space its own theme. We decided to repaint existing decorative woodwork a light green colour which transformed this room. For the circular dining room we added LED lighting to the bookshelves to create a glow around the room and also elegant wallpaper.

DETAIL AND TEXTURE

The pub’s original wall colours and fabrics had remained through out the 12 years and it needed a change. Our recommendation was new wall finishes, changing from the nicotine paint effect to textured anaglypta wall paper. We added a picture rail to break the anaglypta so we could have a different colour top and bottom. This gave more detail to the space as the ceilings are very high. More original pictures and mirrors were introduced to create a really authentic feel. As Bob Doyle, one of the owners, said “We’re selling Irish heritage and an authentic atmosphere”.

THE CRITIAL IRISH WELCOME

There is a lot of bar counter in O’Reillys and the very first piece of counter that you see on entry was not being used other than storage. The “Irish Welcome” was not immediate enough because the bar person did not stand here. The suggestion here was to make this piece of bar counter into a service station so that there would always be someone hovering here and customers were much more likely to get the welcome smile and greeting. This had the added advantage of making the distance travelled to serve customers more efficient.

FEMALE FRIENDLY

We always consider creating a female friendly atmosphere especially in irish pubs. The external colour of dark green is to be lightened to a lighter, brighter green with contrasting red signage. The client totally took on board the idea that Irish Pubs can give the impression of being a male dominated zone and the O’Reillys chain (7 pubs in all) have always endevoured to be welcoming to all. We strongly believe that this lighter shopfront green colour will bring this “female friendly” message subliminally to customers. This colour will be carried though the chain of O’Reillys in Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Brussels and Dusseldorf.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

For pub owners thinking of refreshing their premises, think about what your customers needs are now and how they have changed. Does your premises cater for these changing needs? Is your offer relevant in these times or do you need to bring another dimension to your pub? Does the decor reflect what you offer or can it be upgraded or tweaked to come in line with your offer? Can you add comfort or extra lighting to enhance the atmosphere? Is your shopfront colour and image welcoming to all, especially women? Look at your premises with fresh eyes with these questions in mind. We believe pubs and bars need to evolve and change to suit the changing needs of customers as O’Reillys have done so successfully. We wish O’Reillys another profitable 12 years and beyond…