Roy Keane mural heralds opening of new burger franchise in Cork city

A new restaurant chain opens in Cork this week featuring an eye-catching mural of football hero Roy Keane to entice diners.

Fat Phill's will open on Cook Street in the city centre, with a soft opening this week and an official opening on Sunday, March 15. 

Fat Phill's is a Dutch franchise, with locations across the Netherlands and in London. The company was brought to Ireland by Wayne Kenny and Keith Spencer with the opening of Fat Phill's in Temple Bar in Dublin in May 2025. 

Now Mr Kenny and Mr Spencer are bringing Fat Phill's to Cork, with the opening on Cook Street part of a multimillion euro investment across Ireland. 

"The restaurant in Dublin has gone really well, and Cork is the next step for us," said Mr Kenny.

The new diner in Cork — at a premises which most recently operated as Cafe Nero — will have an alcohol licence, and specialises in gourment smash burgers and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Recruitment is ongoing with around 12 staff on hand for opening.

Mr Kenny works as a practising solicitor, while Mr Spencer is a practising barrister, so Fat Phill's is the pair's first sortie into the food business. 

"We wanted to get involved in the franchise industry which would facilitiate our need to be able to practise as lawyers and still roll out the franchise. 

"We travelled to the Netherlands and Fat Phill's was the right opportunity. It has went very well in Dublin and we are hoping to bring it out across the country, first in Cork, and we are aiming at Galway and Belfast as we roll out."

The artwork of the restaurants is part of the Fat Phill's look. Dutch street artist Roy Valk, known as Karskione, created the murals for the first Irish outlet of Fat Phill's, which features another Cork hero adorning its walls, with a mural of Cillian Murphy in his guise as Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders, as well as Eminem and Notorious BIG.

"We wanted to have a local hero on the mural for Cork, and who better than Roy Keane?" said Mr Kenny. 

The new Leeside outlet on Cook Street also includes murals of of Irish band Fontaines DC and rapper Tyler, the Creator. 

Mr Kenny and Mr Spencer said the business community in the city has been "very welcoming" to the new operation and the Cork store will officially open on March 15 with a launch promotion offering free cheeseburgers to the first 100 customers.