Espresso yourself: new huts ease the daily grind

Regan Kelly

Mullingar has witnessed a coffee boom since the Covid-19 pandemic, but in the last few months, the number of risen dramatically.

Since the start of this year alone, several have popped up at GAA grounds, rugby grounds, on main roads, and in industrial estates.

It appears to be part of a wider national rise in coffee consumption. Although popular as a beverage for many years, the post-pandemic period witnessed a boom in outdoor coffee consumption.

According to Java Republic and Amarach Research, 40% of people in Ireland are drinking more coffee now than they were just five years ago.

The Westmeath Examiner spoke to Joe Kenny, co-owner of the Barista Bros coffee shops at Marlinstown Business Park and at the St Vincent de Paul Furniture store on Harbour Street.

He said: “The pub culture is slowing down slightly in Ireland, and coffee culture is growing. When we first started two or three years ago, there weren’t really that many coffee trailers or drive-throughs in Mullingar.

“For us at the time, we saw that there was an opportunity there, but now it’s booming even more. Across the country, coffee culture is really thriving, and what’s strange is we are still a few years behind the likes of Australia and the UK.”

Joe said some coffee entrepreneurs have looked abroad and ex-pats brought ideas home with them.

“The coffee culture is huge in Australia; it’s been huge over there for many years. I think so many people travel from Ireland to Australia, and because it’s so big over there, people come back to start a business here.”

Modular-style units are common, and Joe explained why that can be an attractive business venture: “Originally, we set up in Marlinstown because there are a lot of offices there, and that is good for footfall, but we actually get more from the road.

“During the weekends, we do the same business as we do during the week, and during the week the car park is full, and during the weekend there isn’t anyone there.

“I suppose people could be bypassing Mullingar, and it’s just the convenience of it – just to be able to get your coffee quickly and tip off again.”

Keeping up with trends is important for business, and with the rise of TikTok, coffee and food trends gain more traction.

Joe said: “One thing I’ve noticed is the rise in things like Acai bowls, they have become so popular and I think it’s down to trends.

“Thankfully, the crew who work for us do a really good job in promoting them because they are so trendy at the moment.

“Young and old people alike love them, in the summer and in the winter, people like them, and maybe it’s just a sign of the times.”

Spurring the rise in convenient coffee units, coffee consumption as a whole has risen and there is an emphasis on high-quality products.

James Groarke, marketing manager at Bell Lane Coffee in Mullingar, said: “From our point of view, we are seeing wider cultural shifts.

“There seems to be a bigger shift away from social interactions around alcohol, and I feel that coffee is just stepping into that place.

“There is probably a luxury element to it as well, having a nice drink, like a little treat in your day, and whatever comes with that, like a protein ball or croissant.”

“It seems as if there is a slight instagrammable element to it all as well. So one person is getting an Americano, what does that say about you? Or someone could be getting a vanilla, honey, triple orange mocha frappuccino kind of thing, and I suppose that goes for anything in life – it is a projection into the world of who you are.”

Tea has long been Ireland’s favourite hot beverage, but that is slowly changing. James said: “The quality of coffee has just got better, and I think more people are educated on that.

“From speaking with customers, people are starting to realise that specialty coffee can be really good, it doesn’t have to always be the stereotype of petrol station coffee. A lot of customers are starting to ask why they were drinking bad coffee for so long.”

An emphasis on sustainability and ethically sound coffee production has become important too. James said: “A lot of the producers we work with have great stories; for example, one of our coffees is La Morena. It is an all-female collective in Guatemala that supports female producers of coffee.

“That is a great story, and really, when you are buying your €3.50 Americano in the morning, you are helping people in Guatemala.”

James believes that the future is bright for coffee and that the rise in convenience coffee huts is just the start of Ireland’s coffee boom.

“It still feels like a new industry, even though coffee’s been around in Ireland for a long time, but it feels like a new industry that’s booming.

“There is so much growth left for coffee, and I think we are just at the start of it. The barista element is an art in itself, but we are seeing automation and convenience being prioritised in other countries.

“So I think that automation in terms of machines, like in McDonald’s, will become a thing, and we are seeing it already in Dublin Airport, where Butlers allow you to order on screens and go pick it up.”

• Figures on coffee consumption from javarepublic.com, ‘Coffee Consumption in Ireland: Trends, Quality and Ethical Choices in 2025’