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Dublin Live
26-06-2025
- Business
- Dublin Live
Plans to turn former Rustic Stone restaurant into gastropub given green light by planners
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The former Rustic Stone pub is set to be turned into a gastropub after plans were approved by Dublin City Council. The George's Street location can now be turned into the gastropub, which will be operated by the Wright Group. The group currently operates locations including Wrights Angler's Rest, Findlater, and Gilbert and Wright, among many others, and food courts such as Marqette in Dublin Airport. According to the plans, there will be some internal alterations to the protected structure of the building. It includes the restoration of the original door on South Great George's Street and the removal of the lobby which is not part of the original structure. The planning report said: "The proposed gastropub would ensure the continued viable use of a protected structure,preventing further vacancy and potential deterioration. The proposed use would maintain the building's historic character while adapting it for contemporary needs." The plans were approved by Dublin City Council planners on June 10 2025. They said: "It can be considered that the proposed development would be keeping with the civic character of the area and would not detract from the existing conservation amenities of the area. Chef Dylan McGrath shut the restaurant in August 2024 calling the location "not sustainable". Alongside the announcement was the closure of the nearby Brasserie Sixty6 which shut after 25 years in business. At the time, Dylan said: "This is a very challenging time for stand-alone restaurant models. Rustic Stone and Brasserie Sixty6 have been very successful restaurants in Dublin city for a long time, but hospitality is changing and we believe our strong work ethic is better applied to new and different opportunities. We will be focused on Fade Street Social and making it the best it can be." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Wright Group gets go-ahead to turn former Rustic Stone restaurant into gastropub
The Wright Group has secured planning permission to turn chef Dylan McGrath's former Rustic Stone restaurant in Dublin into a gastropub. The permission, granted by Dublin City Council to Mink Fusion Ltd, comes 10 months after celebrity chef, Dylan McGrath shut down Rustic Stone and Brasserie Sixty Six, both located on South Great Georges Street, on the same day on August 15th last. At the time an email to customers said: 'Both have been very successful restaurants in Dublin city for a long time, but the time has come where we have decided it's simply not sustainable any more.' Plans were lodged by Mink Fusion Ltd, a subsidiary of the Wright Group, in February for the change of use application and the council delayed the project in April when it asked what the firm's conservation proposals were for the property which is part of a Victorian commercial development dating from 1881. READ MORE However, in a response, Anthony Brabazon of ABA Architects said that while a 'conservation gain' was desirable in principle it may not be financially feasible and that this could be carried out at a later time. He noted that the proposed works involved no removal of original features. Mr Brabazon pointed out that Mink Fusion 'as tenants under a lease, are paying substantial rent and would like to get the business open'. Mr Brabazon said that Mink Fusion 'would therefore find the onus of a full restoration, which would involve significant procurement of replacement elements as well as the entire shop front screens on two streets, a big obstacle in their goal to bring the unit back to use'. In response to Mr Brabazon's comment, the council's conservation division said it had no objection to the scheme on condition w that a conservation expert was to be employed to design, manage, monitor and implement the works and to ensure adequate protection of the retained and historic fabric during the works. A planning report lodged with the application by Manahan Planners has stated said that a gastropub operation 'offers a more sustainable business model than the previous restaurant, given current market conditions'. The most recent accounts for the Wright Group – led by chief executive, Michael JF Wright – show that its pretax profits increased almost three fold to €10.67 million in the 12 months to the end of September 2023 as revenues surged by 38 per cent to €49 million. The group now employs over 700 people through a collection of over 24 restaurants, bars, food halls, cafes, event spaces and convenience retail.
