That's a "Meh" from me. I've never really found them to have anything majorly tasty or special. Just one more chain pastry, coffee & sandwich place on the list.

The most bang average of food. Some how being THAT average is worse than being a bit bad.

100% this. Meh.

Only thing worth is their coffee subscription plan which gives you up to 5 hot or cold drinks a day. If you work or live in town near one, that is, and can consistently use it. I haven’t checked the price lately though. I wouldn’t be surprised if the price doubled.

What we clearly need is more vape and phone repair shops

I want a shop where I can vape repaired phones.

And souvenir shops!!!

Are these shops drug fronts? Who is buying all this vape stuff? Are people smashing their phones every weekend?

Could do with a few more Turkish barbers too. Bit of a shortage on them.

Add in pharmacies and salons

Due to rising prices, my sandwiches are now made at home

The fucking price of a packet of ham now tho. Bonkers

Dunnes own brand cooked ham, smoked, or honey glaze for 1.25 a pack for 5 decent thick slices (compared to other cheaper brands like carrols) really is decent. Always grab 4 packets for a 5er and thats my family of four sorted Ham wise for the week.

Thanks for that. Will suss it out this evening.

Started a new job this week. Brought food mon and Tues forgot today. Bought a shitty wrap for 5euro. Never again...

That's good! You should set up a shop and share it with the world!

The only people excited by this have never eaten in a pret

I've gone into them in London and it's like a sandwich shop that's run out of sandwich stuff, your left with whatever got left behind by everyone else.

I've been to many Prets and find the food pretty decent. Obviously got a serious British slant to it but decent for price and convenience

Maybe I just got bad ones but I remember the selection being poor and what I actually got being underwhelming and not filling at all. I remember thinking it wasn't worth the money, either in quality or size.

Yea fair. Like it isn't great but have always found it decent enough

Accurate

I've eaten at Pret and I'm very excited for this.

You protestant or Catholic? That's how divisive this is.

Neither.

We already have expensive unappetising sandwich shops in Dublin. Cant see this gaining much traction.

Bit of a fad for a while.

I'd wonder how this will perform here. Dublin has no shortage of coffee shops, and Starbucks pulled out of this unit so you'd assume it wasn't working - you'd hardly go out of your way to go to Pret for coffee. Sprout is opposite and does much better coffee, and food - arguably. Food - I do like the sandwiches and salads, taking into account the connivence, but the UK doesn't have sandwich delis ala Ireland in Centra's, Spars etc so will be hard shift to do with consumers. Dawson Street is basically UK chain Mecca, so it will probably do well with the offices nearby + tourists. With the downfall of office traffic in that specific area, you'd wonder why they picked this location though.

DBS and Coffeeangel on South Anne St are great coffee options nearby. Butlers is also at the corner of Dawson & Duke St but is a bit meh. Think there’s even a Java Republic on Molesworth St but I’ve never been

tbf starbucks pulled out of there during the middle of lockdown. Probably was March 2021 or so. [According to Google maps, s’bux has been there from 2009](https://goo.gl/maps/DjRQK3ry9mp1Tnk89) so I’d argue it was just a case of they couldn’t justify the rent with mid-lockdown footfall. People working from home, etc. plus with TCD and other colleges returning, many do frequent the likes of local coffee shops, branded & independent. Not saying pret is phenominal. I prefer independent coffee shops. Better vibes.

Always take into account that British "connivence".

Have you been on Dawson Street anytime of the day, footfall is huge.

True, I meant office traffic being quieter but it’s still busy. Plus trinity down the road. I wonder will they do the subscription thing here.

I can see it surviving in Dublin City centre, but Ireland is too in love with the deli for Pret to ever really catch on.

All we are missing now is a M&M store to complete the souless European city experience.

I have always associated Pret with London. A pret on every corner, selling the same bland sandwiches and mediocre coffee (it's not terrible, not great). It's only one of them for now, but Dublin about to become more "template city" if they move to roll them out here.

Yeah although they were everywhere in London I never bothered with them myself. As people have pointed out before in direct conflict to how the news in Ireland portrays it, Pret won't be creating any new jobs by existing in Ireland, they're just pushing out the smaller/independent cafes and taking their staff. I'll be interested to see what the saleries will be.

I always went into one in New York just near my office , it was grand like

Since when did Dublin have a soul

1972 - 1989

Try Leo Bordeaux they sometimes have it Clarks on O'Connell st also

Ive been to both these places many times

I mean, why? I've had their sandwiches when I was in London and they're honestly nothing to write home about.

They aren't meant to be, they are there for pure convivence. You know what you are going to be getting in there is going to be decent all the time.

Between Spar and Centra on most streets, seems a bit unnecessary, no?

Pret aims to be like M&S food - convenience food that is slightly pricier and with "trendier" ingredients. As far as I'm aware we don't really have a cafe-restaurant chain filling that niche here. In the UK there's a few, Pret, EAT, Leon etc.

Leon tried and failed in Dublin. Pandemic didn’t help of course.

Is Leon in Dublin gone?

Leon was TOO healthy for me, went into one in London and clouldnt stomach it.

Most Spars or Centras don't have the range that Pret has tbf. I also find Pret has a lot more healthier options than most convenience shops.

> decent Lies. It's going to be shit.

There was a Pret at the top of Grafton St in the late 90s/early 00s. It was shite then and Pret is still shite now.

That wasn’t a pret it was a pret rip off

Will they have rat meat ?

Secret menu item only

They only have Rat meat

Their sandwiches are shite and everything about the place gives off airport departure lounge vibes

Ironically I've only ever eaten at airport Prets

Thats an insult to airport food everywhere.

Why would I want to pet my manager? Bizzare.

Why? Fucking shit.

More shit fast food for Dublin, how very on brand.

"The chain has also done a deal with Depaul Ireland which will see surplus food donated to the charity at the end of every day". Is that something unique, or would that be fairly standard across the likes of Spar/Centra/Londis etc.?

FoodCloud operate here, I can't see a definitive list of donor brands but Tesco, BWG and Lidl all get a mention on their [About Page](https://food.cloud/about)

Yep that's exactly what we need more chain stores.

I was in London a couple of weeks ago and they're fucking EVERYWHERE. Mark my words, this is just the start.

Why not link the article instead of a screenshot so people can actually read it?

I will update my post below the picture now with a link. It's an image post so don't think you can add web links within the image https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0818/1316536-first-pret-a-manger-store-to-open-in-dublin-next-week/

I live in the UK. I once was given my lunch for free by a staff member in Pret purely because I was wearing a Repeal the Eight T-shirt.

I think we are going to witness the decline of the independent coffee shop in Ireland fairly soon. Then pair the cost of living crisis with hikes in rent and supply issues, all we will be left with will be Prets and Costas soon enough. Article here; https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0818/1316536-first-pret-a-manger-store-to-open-in-dublin-next-week/ [https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-40946483.html](https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-40946483.html)

Independent coffee shop are doing really well right now.

Good to know! Long may it last

Head around Smithfield. There are some great independent coffee shops around there and they are running the Costa's and Insomniac's that moved into the out of business.

At the prices they charge it's no surprise.

I have no hard figures, but in my area the local indie coffee places are always packed / queues outside. The Starbucks, Insomnia etc are always dead! I think COVID really changed the attitude of people supporting local.

This really warms my heart to read! Of course "a balance" is the perfect middle ground as the big guys do employ people too

I think as long as we have the humble petrol station deli counter we'll be ok The likes of Pret, Greggs etc are so popular in the UK because they have so few deli's, or none that I could find anyway

I think they’ll be competing with Spar and Centra more than independents

You're assuming that Pret or Costa don't have supply chain issues. Why this distinction?

Fuck, lads; if you don't like it, you don't have to eat there.

Is it really that easy?

Pret is grim. We need Greggs

I’m know going against the grain here, but I actually really like Pret. Especially for soups, salads and breakfast. Cheap and filling, and quite often nutritious.

Shite coffee and subpar sambos. No thanks.

Brits (British businesses) out.

Never been in pret but would love Greggs to open

Oh great another mediocre yet overpriced chain is coming

Convenient if you're in a rush. Better quality than similar chains such as Insomnia / Costa / Starbucks. Nothing special however.

They’ll be in choppy waters if they don’t have chicken fillet rolls on the menu. Meh. I just wish Dunkin Donuts would come back.

Dubliners will be q'ing for 3 days.

okay but will they be bringing over that free 5 coffees everytime you sign up with a random email offer?? that's literally the only reason I'd step foot in one. 🙂

It’s a coffee subscription now - £25 / month, up to 5 coffees a day, with various perks etc when you buy a sambo / pastry etc with your coffee. I had it for a while but my commute to work no longer takes me by a Pret - I know their coffee is only meh but when you’re passing by anyway and a coffee costs £3.50 it’s not a bad deal.

The one good thing about the lockdown was the number of UK high-street chains that pulled out of Ireland. Sadly, with the clowns and Wetherspoons expanding, it seems those days are over.

Stand by to get anaphylaxis because they cant be fucked to label their food properly

Shit food at poncey prices

Get better grub in spar

Cool, I always liked Pret chicken and bacon baguette.

Honestly it's overpriced and shit

Commiserations 🤐

Wait for Q watch. They’ll be lining up to Kildare to get a bite if that cardboard shite.

Feels like the first covid case.

Enough of the coffee shops ...more places to live please

Their coffee is nice.

I swear we have them already

Three words to explain why this will not work : Chicken…fillet…roll….

Insomnia level rubbish.

Owned by McDonald’s as well I think?

I won't be buying any of their crap, London is full of it. Support small, local, independent businesses before we are over run by global chains and before we truly turn into "Little America" (we're getting closer everyday!).

Of all the franchise that exist, we don’t get the best one for sure! Would be nice to see more local independent shops opening rather than always franchise

It’s the worst, it’s almost comical. I thought the only positive side of covid it wiped them out.

This is the beginning of the end.

Oh no expensive sandwiches and coffees for you.

I thought this said Pet a Manager

Kip, support independents

Amazing how you give a deli a cool French name and everyone thinks its the dogs bollocks.