Fools gold: Cafe is an oasis in bustling city

THREE Fools Coffee sits like an island oasis amidst the hustle and noise of Cork City centre.

On a clear day, you’ll see people enjoying the terrace area whilst all the surrounding buildings are reflected in the glass of Three Fools.

It was opened in November, 2015, by childhood friends Gary McKeating and Kevin Foley.

They lived one door away from each other when growing up in Carrigaline, and when they hit their twenties they both had stints in the bar trade.

The lads knew Grand Parade well, as Kevin worked in Electric, so for them to open up their own venue on the iconic Cork street seemed natural as they were already embedded in the local hospitality community.

It was their shared bar trade experience that inspired the spirit and brand of Three Fools, which was always intended to be a laidback venue, much like a bar without the beer!

Even the design of the bar is high and to the corner, similar to what you’d see in a pub. They wanted it to be a place where you could hang out and chat to the barista about your day.

Gary always drank coffee, but never really inquired much about it until he started to frequent local Cork city stand-outs like Filter, Bookshelf and Alchemy, who represented a new wave in the Cork city coffee scene, and their high standard products opened his eyes to the endlessly intriguing ingredient that is coffee.

He began his research into the world of coffee and found the sheer magnitude and complexity of the industry fascinating.

Their café is now a staple for coffee lovers throughout the city, and it was only natural for them to start roasting. Kevin has taken on the position of Head Roaster, with Sam Ryan also playing a big role.

It’s all coming full circle for the ‘Fools’, as they’re making a homecoming to Carrigaline, with their new premises set to open before Christmas, when they bring their exquisite artisanal coffee expertise to their home town.

It’s currently a construction site, but the finishing touches are in sight - the result will be a long, church-like, arched ceiling with a minimalist interior of white and birch, with 20 seats indoors and 10 seats outdoors.

No doubt the lads will do their home town proud with their brand of delicious coffee and banter!

I caught up with Gary for a little insight into the business.

Q: Where did the inspiration for the design and aesthetic of Three Fools Café come from?

We thought the glass pod felt somewhat cold when we first took it over, so we wanted to fill the space with warmth and make it more inviting.

Q: Can you pinpoint when you fell in love with coffee?

Years ago, when I was backpacking through western Europe, I was just outside Barcelona hiking in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo. I was at the end of this path and I came to a clearing, there was a very secluded lake and there were tall trees all around, it was dead silent, and across the lake I saw a beautiful cup of coffee...

Q: What are the most important factors for serving quality coffee?

There are so many factors for serving great coffee. Quality of water, coffee beans, correct water temperature and the skills of the barista making it are all massively important.

Q: What espresso machine do you use?

La Marzocco, Linea PB.

Q: How do you choose your espresso blend?

We always have two different roasts on at the same time. This usually changes fortnightly. We choose our coffees by roasting and cupping samples and picking the ones we feel are the best.

Q: What are your three best-selling drinks?

1. Americano

2. Flat white

3. Iced coffee

Q: What’s the favoured drink amongst your team of baristas?

1. Espresso

2. Flat white

3. Batch brew

Q: Have keep cups made a full resurgence since Covid and do you stock dairy alternatives?

The keep cups haven’t quite made a full resurgence, but they’re slowly getting there.

Yes, the dairy alternatives are very popular. Oat milk is nearly as popular as regular milk. We also don’t charge extra for oat milk.

Q: What’s an ideal barista to you?

Someone who is happy to learn and open-minded about how much there is to learn in the world of coffee.

Q: Have you got any barista champions or latte art champions in your team?

Alex finished runner-up twice in the Irish Brewers Cup. The trophy he was awarded goes everywhere with him.

Q: What’s your ideal morning café playlist to get the blood flowing and the punters happy?

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams. If you see Kev working, ask him to show you the dance to it.

Q: What’s your daily caffeine limit and do you have a cut-off hour?

Three or four cups of coffee. No real cut-off point, no.

Q: How would you describe the spirit of your café?

Like a bar with no beer, good craic.

Q: One final word to your customers and the people of Cork.

Thank-you for all your support over the last seven years. Exciting things to come for the Fools.

We look forward to serving up great coffee on the Grand Parade and in our new Carrigaline shop very soon.