New diner and sandwich bar for Limerick retail park

AN AMERICAN-STYLE diner, and a coffee shop and sandwich bar are to move into a building in Childers Road Limerick, that has been out of use for more than three years.

Following the onset of Covid-19, fast-food restaurant chain Pizza Hut followed others in shutting its doors to prevent the spread of the disease.

However, when shops and restaurants were able to open again, Pizza Hut never did, and the unit at the Limerick One Shopping Park in Childers Road has lain idle since.

Until now that is, with Limerick-headquartered restaurant Shake Dog planning a move into the building in a move which will create 20 new jobs.

Formerly known as Rockin Joe's, Shake Dog has 11 locations across Ireland, including at O'Connell Street in the city centre and the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle.

Now the city is set to get its third Shake Dog outlet, its owner Brian Dunne confirmed.

Unlike the other two, however, the new outlet in Childers Road will also include a coffee shop and sandwich bar.

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“As the unit is so large, it's 3,500 square feet, it was too big for just a Shake Dog. So we are putting in a coffee/sandwich bar at the front of it. The back area will be the normal Shake Dog,” Mr Dunne told the Limerick Leader.

Mr Dunne has run the fast-food restaurants in Limerick since the late 1990s.

Up until 2013, they were operated under the Eddie Rocket’s franchise. A dispute arose between the founder of this firm Niall Fortune and Mr Dunne.

The businessman confirmed that he had agreed terms with the Crescent Shopping Centre to continue for another 20 years in Dooradoyle, having first moved there in 2001.

He said he hopes that the new restaurant will be open by the end of July or the start of August.

“It's taken a bit longer than I thought, but we want to get it right,” he added.

Local councillor Catherine Slattery has welcomed Shake Dog’s move to open at Childers Road.

She said: “It's great news for the area. We need restaurants and take-aways for our young and older people to meet up, and enjoy a bit of coffee and brunch.

“They will be great for the area. It'll be handy as people will be able to pop in for a coffee while they are shopping in the Childers Road area,” Cllr Slattery added.

Shake Dog is headquartered at Riverpoint in the city centre.