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ONE OF CORK’S best-known and highly rated restaurants, Fenn’s Quay, suddenly shut this week.
The establishment has been a staple of the Rebel County dining scene for 20 years, winning multiple awards for its food and service.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland named it Cork’s best restaurant in both 2014 and 2015.
However it closed its doors on Thursday after what owner and head chef Kate Lawlor said had been a gruelling time at the helm.
Fenn's Quay / TwitterIt's with great regret we announce that as of today we will close for business thank you Cork and beyond for all your support over the years
— Corkonafork (@Corkonmyfork) July 20, 2017
“I’ve been working here since 2001 and I’ve been running it for the last nine years,” she told Fora.
“Like any chef that runs a business your heart and soul goes into it. I’ve given it my all. To make a decision like this is never easy.
“There’s a high burnout rate among chefs. I haven’t had a two-week holiday since 2003, so it’s time to take this time out.”
The recent Bus Éireann strikes, which shut down public transport in Cork city, parking issues and the possibility of rates rises also threatened the business.
Lawlor says that while these elements factored into her decision, getting a break was her main reason to close the restaurant.
“(They contributed) a bit, but I’ve just hit a wall. I will take about a month off and figure out what I will do,” she said.
Support
Lawlor said she has not yet decided what to do with the restaurant.
“We’ve closed our doors, I haven’t decided what we’ll do. Hopefully someone else will take it over, (but) I have to figure out what will happen to it.”
When asked if she was looking for a buyer for the business she said: “There’s been no decision made yet.”
The restaurant employed 14 people, who Lawlor described as “like family”.
“They’ve been so supportive, and the amount of people who I’ve worked with over the years who’ve gotten in touch with me has been phenomenal,” she said.
“I’m blown away by all the comments that people are giving me, it gives me heart that I’ve been doing something right over the last few years.
“I’ve believed in local Irish foods and it shows that people respect that. I just want to thank all the suppliers and customers I’ve had over the years.”
Written by Paul O’Donoghue and posted on Fora.ie
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I’ve a lot of sympathy for her in what must’ve been an extremely tough few years, but leaving 14 staff members in the lurch suddenly is really bad form.
@Shane Russell: same thing I was going to say. 14 staff who are “like family” but she can’t organise someone to take over for the sake of their jobs
@Brian Masterson: very easy to judge from the sidelines. This kind of restaurant IS the chef and owner. I hope she gets a bit of peace and really enjoys her break
@Shane Russell: “I just hit a wall”….she didn’t need to ensure the other 14 were in the vehicle before she hit it though
@Frank Dubogovik: Yes frank that’s true. I she should have fired them first.
@Frank Dubogovik: the staff may have known. Sometimes it’s better not to advertise the closure of a business because creditors and suppliers tend to get jittery otherwise
@Shane Russell: as a chef myself shane I reckon that the girl has pushed her self to breaking point physicaly and mentally and needed to let go for her own sanity …sometimes when you get that far in the fog gets to thick and it’s hard to see a day in front off yourself.
@Shane Russell: she created 20 years of employment for staff and you call it bad form. Sure its not pleasant to lose you job but they will get benefits while seeking new employment. The owners will get nothing more than revenue chasing up for every cent possible. A lot of small business don’t have big cash reserve or assists that will set up the owners after they close. Once everyone’s paid off there is often a debt to deal with.
@Brian Masterson: couldn’t all or some of the staff have organised themselves into some sort of co-operative enterprise to continue the restaurant and keep their jobs?
The staff could have known for months, if the woman is burnt out she deserves to take a break, should she just work on till she collapses to keep staff employed.
@David Harvey: no but she needs to learn delagate, hire another head chef or business manager.
Sounds like she was doing the job of two or three people, common mistake in businesses like this
@B9xiRspG: it is a common mistake but also at times the only viable financial solution.
Those people who are being negative, have anyone of ye ran a business. There is a notion in Ireland if you are self employed you gain all the profits and can take time off when you want. Fact is you are paid last, if there is money left over, you carry all the worry and stress. Most self employed find it difficult to take time off, which impacts family life. She gave people work and experience
@Blah blah: hear! Hear! Unless you have walked in her shoes you haven’t a bloody clue. Am in the same business myself. I love it, but if you take your foot off the gas for a second your business suffers. It’s relentless and unforgiving. No shame in burning out. I wish her all the very best.
@Duncan Blair: my parents ran a business and there were weeks where they had no wage with a family to rear. The stress was awful. They didn’t even get a full state pension despite working since aged 14…None of us kids went into business, we all went for paye jobs!
@Duncan Blair: Likewise best of luck for the future and still young enough to enjoy life and maybe bounce back in the future. Friends of ours closed up a restaurant at the beginning of July for the same reasons. However I have to ask why not sell the business as a going concern.if it is doing well in a popular location.
I hope the time off is good. It’s a brace decision to take care of your mental health in this way. There will be more successes and adventures in this woman’s future.
@Martin Byrne: great that you’re a big fan and flag bearer for Kate. …but any sympathy or understanding for 14 loyal staff turfed out on their ear with no notice?
@Frank Dubogovik: “but what about…”
I honestly don’t care Frank. She gave them many years of employment and she owes them nothing. Better to take care of her health so she can employ people again. Her staff will get more work elsewhere, just like they would have done if she worked herself into the grave. Have a modicum of cop on.
@Martin Byrne: you seem proud of you “I don’t care for the staff”post…..any business I run I put my staff first…during the recession my mortgage didn’t get paid but I made sure my staff did….it’s easy to say an employer doesn’t owe his/her staff anything…..personally I feel a responsibility towards each staff member for their loyalty and hard work…maybe that’s not your idea of good business sense…..I just call it decency. …and I will be at my desk at 7 on monday morning and my staff WILL get paid on Thursday
@Frank Dubogovik: Frank you are making a judgement based on little information provided regarding the staff. She may have treated them badly she may not. I wouldnt rush to judge based on an article in the journal the woman may not deserve your scorn.
@Frank Dubogovik: and I’m up at 6:30 to do a 12 hour day most days and I work lots of weekends and I ensure my staff get paid. But I understand completely that sometimes you just have to stop and take care of yourself. I’m sure this woman and her staff have a good relationship – just because it’s not explicitly stated in the article it doesn’t follow that she just sprang this on her staff out of the blue, or indeed that they don’t understand where she’s coming from.
@Martin Byrne: boo hoo. So you finish work ato 6.30 and have the odd weekend off. Why are you fishing for sympathy?
@Seán O’Keeffe: what an idiot. Read the thread
@Frank Dubogovik: She had informed the staff well in advance of the imminent closure. It was obvious to the staff that the arses on seats wasn’t what it used to be and it had been discussed with them.
@Frank Dubogovik: seriously? Are you privy to that information? Without notice? It is not mentioned in the article how the staff finished. They have years of experience in a highly thought of eatery to put on their cv. I think she’s done good by them.
@Seán O’Keeffe: I really am not fishing for sympathy, merely showing that I have grounds for empathy with the subject of the story. So you know… shove it.
I’ve had many amazing meals. Whatever you decide to do Katie, I wish you all the best. x
Wow, having tried to run a restaurant myself I feel her pain. Now those of you giving out about her leaving down her staff. Really! From the moment you get up to going to bed at night you worry about what happens when cash flow runs so low and you have to decide who to pay first. Staff? Suppliers? Utilities? Taxman(income tax, vat, PRSI )? Council Rates?…. God forbid…pay yourself?
Reality is the ship is going down…. crew have to jump into lifeboats, save themselves to go elsewhere … unfortunately!
@GC: donkey work for little reward
@Quentin Moriarty: Exactly and people complain about the cost of hotels and restaurants, you get what you pay for in the hospitality business. Unlike McDonalds who treat their staff like animals.
All of you out there knocking the woman need to try running a business like this. Well done for all the years employment you gave and all the taxes you paid. I hope you can come back stronger after your very well deserved rest.
Look after your own health and wellbeing first only then can you look after others .
Rest awhile
@Brian O Reilly: well said, took me a very long time to just that but I did it and I’m the better for it, ran myself into the ground and ended up ICU, not a lot of good to anyone that time and all it did was cause intense worry on those I value most.
She won’t be blown away with positive comments on here that’s for sure !
It becoming a talking point in Cork now that the city is so badly run. Policing is non-existent in the city centre and the atmosphere is getting really bad. Parking is had to get and expensive when you do. They are digging up Patrick Street yet again. I feel sorry for anyone trying to run a business in town. Like a lot of Cork people I used to love walking around the city but not now. Too dangerous.
@Simeon: They were saying that 30 years ago too. It was worse 20 year ago than now. A lot worse.
Everything gets blamed.. except the high prices that are charged… over priced over rated.. I feel sorry for the staff.
@Terry O’Callaghan: I assume you are talking about the high price of council rates??. They are extorsion all around the country. Cause many businesses to fail!!
@Lord Clanricarde: anyone who goes into business knows the risks involved.. and if they think they can overcome these with extortionate prices well you fail … and this is what has happened here quite simply ..
@Terry: Genuine question: Do you run, or have you ever ran a business of your own Terry? Honestly it really irks me when people come out with things such as “You’ve no one to answer to yourself”, or “it must be great to be your own boss”. Being self employed, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult jobs you can do in this country. Between rates and taxes on employing staff among many, many other important issues it’s the most difficult and challenging thing I’ve ever done. I failed after ten months and you know what? I had no social to fall back on and my confidence in my own capabilities took an enormous knock so I had to pick up again back in to employment. For many who are self employed there are no days off, paydays are few and far between and the worrying never stops.
@Terry O’Callaghan: Also, I commend this woman for putting herself first. The stress of any job can put your health at risk and it takes a strong person to say enough is enough.
Probably not economic to run hiring other chefs and managers to run the place.
Good luck for the future Kate you’ll be back!
You are so right! Life is too short……………
tell Joan Burton,she will put a soup kitchen into it.
Haven’t been in Cork for a few years but Fenns Quay was a local favourite. Not in agreement with all the mean hearted comments, she tried her best to keep the business going and probably had restrictions on hiring staff due to financial constraints. The bus strike had a catastrophic effect to many businesses in Irish towns and the smaller cities. But you wouldn’t hear about it as much because it didn’t really affect Dublin. As per usual.
This lady will be snapped up as Head Chef in a top hotel. She does not need the all encompassing stress of trying to run a business.
Knowing this establishment since 1998, its fair to say Kate has put the restaurant before her family and personal life since she took it over. To have done so well in such a small premises is down to her alone. But for the last year or more that side of the city has been a building site. However the current diversions have made this location difficult to access. The Bus strikes hit all Cork restaurants hard. Margins are tight and they were faced with frequent large bookings that would cancel at short notice.
I know she did her best for the staff, and she deserves a well earned break too.
Burn out is very hard have to take time out and delegate things probably should have been done earlier
Sudden closing of doors is becoming commonplace method of closing down businesses within that sector, I wonder if owners are being given that advice by Accountants or Consultants. Looks like her businessodel was flawed OR she is a control freak if her comments are true. I hope staff are paid up to o date and PAYE etc paid over to revenue, not to mention debts to suppliers. Why do these people want sympathy while they socialise their debt
Lots of top notch places to eat in Cork now. Maybe she didn’t up her game. Left her business go stagnant.
@Tom Callaghan: you be never eaten there I take it?
Like Artie Butto said in the Sopranos, owning a restaurant is like owning an Elephant, you feed it, look after it and one day it shits on your head
how many of you leaving comments on here have actually worked in the catering industry ? i did for nearly 30 years and it bloody near cost me my sanity and my life – 90 hours working week was commonplace , i worked 7 days a week for over 3 years without a day off , working in a busy kitchen is like no other job you are constantly on the go – the atmosphere is hot and tempers flair -one small mistake can cost your business thousands -and there are so many people out there just waiting for a chance to put you down ,even though they know little or nothing about the trade and whats involved in it – as a former chef who went through a similar situation i can sympathise with kate – i have never eaten or visited her premises but i know only too well the work involved in building up a catering business both here and in the uk – and for those who have never experienced it “hitting the wall ” is not pleasant – it took me nearly 2 years to get back to some sort of normality where i felt like i could return to work -not in catering though -my doctors told me if i were to do so i would be either dead or in a mental hospital inside 2 years – no one starts out intending to work the hours chefs do -no one WANTS to do them either – but it becomes a part of your job and your life – unless you have experienced the effect it has on you -you wouldnt understand – chefs are their own worst enemy -they strive for perfection with every dish they serve – i have known many young lads and girls who have ended their career with poor health and shattered nerves . good luck kate with your next project -but take it from one who has been there – take time off and find a new career before it destroys you .
@Frank Dubogovik: when you didnt pay your mortage , how come the bank never took the house. I think you never ran a business in your life.
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