Council approves plans for spicy chicken restaurant at vacant Limerick store
The former Dunnes Stores site on O’Connell Street will get a new lease of life as a spicy chicken restaurant
A LONG-vacant retail store in Limerick city centre is set to be transformed after the local authority granted permission for it to be converted for use as a restaurant and takeway.
Limerick City and County Council has approved plans for the development of the former Dunnes Stores site on O’Connell Street into a spicy hot chicken restaurant.
The project is being spearheaded by local businessman Tony Enright, who, when speaking to the Limerick Leader last month hinted the new tenant is “one of the fried chicken outlets, whose name does not begin with K!”
The planned development of the long vacant retail space at 129/130 O’Connell Street is set to take place on the ground floor and first floor of the three-storey premises with the basement continuing to operate as a storage and waste collection area.
According to the documents lodged as part of the planning process, the development of the mid terrace building, vacant since 2008, “will make a positive contribution to the ongoing regeneration of O'Connell Street, improve passive surveillance, and reinforce confidence in the city centre as a destination for businesses, visitors and residents”.
The property was acquired by Mr Enright in 2022 and a planning application for the development now approved was submitted by Newreed Taverns Limited in July.
A report prepared by council planners notes an ancillary takeaway will form part of the new restaurant. A condition of the permission is that the ‘normal opening hours’ for both the restaurant and takeaway will be 11am to 11pm. This, the report states, is in the interests of “residential amenity”.
According to the planner’s report the “existing shop front is set to be refurbished and existing rotten defective timber is to be stripped and replaced with hardwood and marine ply”.
Signage details for the new establishment have yet to be confirmed, but drawings submitted with the application illustrate a “signage zone above the building's shop front”.
A condition imposed on the applicant is that “any signage shall be down lit only, shall not be internally illuminated and shall not operate outside the normal business hours of 11am – 11pm”.
The council says the applicant company will not be required to pay a development levy to the local authority as “there is no increase in floor area and the change of use will not lead to the need for new or upgraded infrastructure”.
When open, the international-chain restaurant is set to employ between 35-40 people on a full-time and part-time basis, with further employment generated during the construction stage.
In their decision to grant permission, planners imposed a number of conditions including restrictions regarding the future occupier of the premises.
Any signage must comply with Limerick City and County Council’s Shopfront Design Guidelines 2025 and certain conditions have been imposed regarding any waste which will be generated and stored on site.
A requirement of the planning permission is that general waste, food waste, fats, oils and greases must be disposed of legitimately.