Bewley's facts for kids
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| Limited | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1840 in Dublin, Ireland |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Northern Cross, Malahide Road, Dublin, Ireland |
| Products | Coffee, tea |
| Revenue | €170 Million (2019) |
| Parent | Bewley's Ltd |
Bewley's is a well-known Irish company that makes hot drinks. It started in Dublin, Ireland, way back in 1840. Today, Bewley's sells its products all over the world! The main things they do are making tasty tea and coffee, and running their own cafes. You can find Bewley's in Ireland, the UK, and even in the United States. In the US, they operate under names like Rebecca's Cafe in Boston and Java City in California.
Contents
A Look Back: Bewley's History
The Bewley family, who started the company, were Quakers. They moved to Ireland in the 1600s. In 1835, Samuel Bewley and his son Charles brought a huge shipment of tea from China to Ireland. This was a big step for their tea business!
Later, the Bewley family also started selling coffee. By the late 1800s, they opened their first cafes in Dublin. The most famous one, the Bewley's Oriental Café on Grafton Street, opened in 1927. This building used to be a school where famous people like the Duke of Wellington once studied.
In 1986, another company called Campbell Catering joined with Bewley's. This helped the company grow even more. By 1999, Bewley's had over twenty cafes in Ireland and six in other countries. They have employed many people over the years. In 2018, Bewley's also started using 100% recyclable cups, which is great for the environment!
Bewley's Cafes and Locations
Bewley's Grafton Street: A Dublin Icon
Bewley's has had a cafe on Dublin's famous Grafton Street since 1927. Many people call it a "Dublin landmark" because it's so well-known. The building has a special look, with influences from the Art Deco style. You can see a unique mosaic on the front, which is quite rare in Dublin.
Inside, the cafe is just as special. It has beautiful stained glass windows made by famous artists. Harry Clarke created windows showing different styles of architecture. There's also a window by Jim Fitzpatrick and another by Pauline Bewick called Cafe Society.
The Grafton Street cafe has closed a few times for big renovations to keep it looking its best. For example, it closed for a long time from 2015 to 2017 for a huge makeover. It reopened in November 2017 after a "1000 day" project! In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was news that it might close for good, but luckily, it reopened later that year.
Bewley's in the US and UK
Bewley's also has a presence outside of Ireland. In 1997, the company bought a chain of cafes called Rebecca's Cafe in the Boston area of the United States. Then, in 2000, they expanded to the west coast by buying the Java City brand.
Bewley's entered the UK market in 2011. They bought a coffee supplier called Darlington's, and later other companies like Bolling Coffee and Peros. This helped them share their coffee and tea with more people in the United Kingdom.
Past Locations
Over the years, Bewley's has had many other cafes in Dublin city centre. Some of these locations have changed or closed, like the ones on Fleet Street, Mary Street, and even temporary spots. They also had cafes in Dublin Airport, some Waterstones bookstores, and the Arnotts department store.
There were also Bewley's cafes run by franchise owners in shopping centres around Dublin, like Nutgrove and The Square, Tallaght. Some of these were once run directly by the company.
Bewley's Hotels
For a while, there was a chain of hotels called Bewley's Hotels. These hotels used the Bewley's name in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. They were owned by different companies, not Bewley's itself.
This agreement to use the Bewley's name for hotels ended around 2015. One of the main hotels, which was in a beautiful old 19th-century building in Ballsbridge, is now known as the Clayton Hotel, Ballsbridge.
See also
- List of coffeehouse chains
- Dick's Coffee House
