We walked our dogs in Fitzgerald’s Park... now we run the cafe here

It’s big, green, leafy, and sits prettily beside the banks of our own lovely Lee.

Fitzgerald’s Park is one of Cork city’s green gems, home to 18 acres of landscaped gardens with spectacular trees, ponds, sculptures, pavilions, a stage, lawns, and Cork Public Museum.

It is also now home to Tria Café, a new establishment open seven days a week created by the team behind Spitjack rotisserie restaurants and Brown’s Brasserie located inside Brown Thomas.

Richard Gavin is co-founder of Spitjack with his wife Laura, and Front to Back Hospitality Group, which the couple co-founded with group executive head chef, John O’Mahony.

Tria Café is a new venture for the trio who, since 2017, have specialised in casual restaurants delivering quality food with great service in beautifully designed venues.

Opening their first daytime café in Fitzgerald’s Park is part of an overall strategy for pushing back against challenging headwinds in food and hospitality.

To keep nimble and find opportunities that deliver what people want at an affordable price is, Richard explains, key to continued growth and success.

The first Spitjack restaurant opened on Washington Street in 2017. John O’Mahony joined in 2018, and in March, 2020, the second Spitjack location opened in Limerick - for just seven days.

“It was the quickest restaurant closure in history,” says a wincing Richard of the pandemic that followed. “It was a tough couple of years, and by the end of lockdown we had lost most of our team.”

However, a core group remained, turning crisis into an opportunity to, using the phrasing of the day, build back better.

“We developed new systems and brought on a lot of technology that allowed us to manage properties better, induct and train people, share knowledge better, and audit ourselves better,” said Richard.

“When we reopened in 2021, it was like we were starting Spitjack all over again.”

That work would soon pay off when Richard got a call from Brown Thomas in 2022. Domini and Peaches Kemp had moved on from their Table Restaurant concept in the company’s stores, and the retailer needed a new partner to develop a brand new in-store restaurant concept.

“They asked us if we would develop a concept for them,” says Richard. “The spiralling cost of everything at the time meant this was a very cost-effective business for us.

“The timing was right, and we opened in November, 2022, just as Christmas was kicking off in Cork.”

Things went well, and Limerick was confirmed for opening in May, 2023, followed swiftly by Dundrum in July.

“It was a busy year,” says Richard. “Spitjack and everything was going well, too.

“While our Spitjack model is a slow model because we invest a lot in the restaurant itself, Back To Front Hospitality Group allows us to be a lot more agile to look for opportunities.

“We’re not tied to a concept; we can create concepts to suit the place rather than trying to find the place to suit the concept. That’s key in our industry right now - to find opportunities that make sense.”

Bringing us nicely to Tria Café.

The business is housed inside the former premises of The Natural Food Bakery. The interior has been given a glow up, and a rejig of the space means more capacity inside as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking the River Lee.

By why this location?

“When Laura and I first moved to Cork in 2015, we used to live just around the corner in an apartment, so this was our garden. We had two dogs and came here to walk them every day, and our daughter went to Nurture nursery, and it was always at the playground afterwards.

“We knew the park incredibly well and the potential of the location. We always thought if the opportunity came up, we could have a good chance at making it work,” explains Richard.

“We think the offering here is diverse with something for every time of the day and to suit everyone, and we’ve had really good feedback from customers.

“We have a production kitchen off-site, so our USP is for a cafe of this size, everything is made by us, and there is an excellent variety with sandwiches, salads, desserts, acai bowls, and a fantastic beverage offering as well.

“We cook the meat, bake some of our breads, and all our desserts are made in house.”

While going from restaurants to cafes and from site-specific to concept-driven has been a major pivot for Richard, Laura and John, there are three core principles that have remained unchanged throughout.

“Whatever we do, we will always try to provide an excellent service, build and maintain beautiful spaces for our customers to enjoy, and deliver quality produce expertly prepared.”

Of that, says Richard, quality will always come first, and there is ambition to fly the flag for Cork produce across all their outlets.

“We will never use inferior products. We will always make sure we choose what’s really good quality, and if we can’t get that, we won’t choose it.

“We have West Cork chicken in Dundrum, and all our meats are sourced in Cork. We are spoiled here for the diversity and quality of products, and it was a lot harder to find the same level in Limerick. Even having the English Market on our doorstep is great for developing menus; going there, seeing the produce, and finding inspiration, Cork is brilliant for that.”

Fitzgerald’s Park is a microcosm of Cork life. From dog walkers to joggers, parents with kids, active retirement groups, or friends meeting for a catch-up - the park is a draw for all, and Tria Café will no doubt act as an additional attraction when visiting the park.

“Tria Café is for people who use the park as an amenity and we hope to give a service that enhances that amenity and make ourselves a destination within a destination,” Richard says.

“I think there’s a harmony in that. Having people out on the terrace gives the park a buzz. Spaces like these need to be alive, and the cafe will hopefully bring even more people into the park.

“We want to build a reputation that people come to us, but then also really enjoy the park.”

There are walks to be had to the Lee Fields, the Mardyke Walk, and around the grounds of UCC with its arboretum, making it a really nice day out in a picturesque part of the city.

Tria Café, then, is a homecoming for Richard and Laura.

“When I said it to Laura, her natural reaction was to go for it; she knew straight away. We have a lot of confidence in Cork as a city; it’s really doing well.”

Lest you think that Richard, Laura and John will rest on their laurels, plans are underway for the next project: Spitjack the third, due to open in 2027 in Tralee.

“We bought the building in Tralee in 2021 but put it on hold to focus on Brown’s Brasserie with Brown Thomas,” says Richard.

The original timeline would have seen four Spitjacks established by now, but the valuable lesson of recent years is the importance of growing smarter, not faster.

“It won’t be as big as we originally planned” says Richard. “We’ve reduced the size because we learned, opening the Limerick location, which has a lot of capacity, that a big space is not always the most effective way to go.

“We’ve taken those lessons back to Tralee and have a design we’re happy with, but is also open for expansion with a courtyard space we can grow into.”

With the three concepts of Spitjack, Brown’s Brasserie and now Tria Café figured out and working well, attention is never far from the next project.

With Spitjack number three underway, Richard is casually horizon-scanning for the next great location.

“We’ve worked hard on these concepts and we’re now to a position where we’re happy with it,” he says.

“Making everything ourselves means it’s a lot easier for us to open another Tria because we have everything down, so if the right location comes up, we could look at expanding with Tria as well.”

Instagram @triacafe.ireland

Check out these new openings around Cork…

The city and county have witnessed some high-profile closures in the past two years, so it’s good to see plenty of new openings and expansions in Cork that are worth checking out, too.

Cush, Midleton

Cush has moved from its original Ballycotton home to swanky new digs on Midleton high street.

Taking the space formerly occupied by Sage, head chef Dan Guerin is bringing his brand of exemplary cookery with local flavour to this famously foodie town.

Roots, Midleton

Roots Pizzeria & Wine Bar is serving slow proven woodfired pizza with generous toppings inspired by Cork’s larder, and a great wine list. Perfect for a catch-up or a family feast.

The Salty Dog, Ballycotton

Moving into the former home of Cush, The Salty Dog is the next venture from the Flynn Cush Hospitality Group Ltd, and sees seasoned head chef, Frédéric Desmoreaux, running the kitchen with a delicious fish-forward menu.

Soul, Washington Street

Dan Relihan is slinging all your favourite southern soul food from an all-day menu. If you’re down for pulled pork and cornbread waffles and a slice of pecan pie, this is the place for you!

Alaria, Schull

Housed inside Schull Harbour Hotel is another addition to Cork’s growing cohort of great seafood restaurants. Think seasonal spider crab, Dublin Lawyer Lobster, and seared scallops; think lakes of unctuous butter just waiting to be mopped up. Eat in the scenery with every bite.

The Boathouse, Dripsey

A second location from the Boathouse duo is located at the former Griffins Garden Centre in Drispey with gorgeous riverside views, fresh cakes, coffee, acai bowls, and a hearty savoury menu, plus a little deli store for browsing.