Two Waterford pubs on the market for almost €2.5 million
The Kazbar is located in the Apple Market in Waterford city.
After over 20 years of ownership, siblings Micheal, Seamus and Jane Dunphy have decided to sell the Kazbar and Davy Mac's.
The siblings took over the Kazbar in 2004. Davy Macs opened a decade later – which reflected the market’s desire for upmarket experiences.
Jane Dunphy spoke to the Waterford News & Star about the pubs going on the market. She said, “In recent years, customers have become more discerning, the product offering has become more premium – certainly in terms of Davy’s.”
She also noted that the “no alcohol market has expanded greatly as well”.
According to a recent Give Us the Night report, 84% of Ireland's nightclubs have closed down since 2000. Although the Kazbar is also a pub, music venue and restaurant, they also operate a late bar and have a resident DJ. Ms Dunphy said that nightclubs, “are a necessity for any vibrant town. They obviously contribute economically and socially."
She continued, “There are lifestyle changes for people, but also you have to look at your own offering. If the offering is at the standard of what people want, then that demand is there."
Ms Dunphy has noticed a lot of changes in Waterford over the past 22 years.
“There was a lot of development in the city, including the Apple Market canopy, we had SETU expanding, which would have been a huge help to us.”
When asked about her favourite memory of owning the two pubs, she said, “At one point we had the older crowd coming up from mass at St John’s and the joke always was that the grandchildren were in the Kazbar and they were in the Kazbar as well. We were a pub for all generations.”
Indeed, the Kazbar in particular holds many fond memories for Waterford people. One such couple, Mark Phelan from Glenmore in South Kilkenny and Elaine Leahy from Blacknock Kilmeaden, met in the Kazbar in October 2011. They ended up getting engaged in the same spot five years later in 2016. On December 29, 2017, they got married and were sure to stop off in the Kazbar for some photos!
Local artist Lisa Keane told the Waterford News & Star that the owners of the Kazbar bought her very first Waterford painting.
She said, “I was so happy. This was back in 2018 when I was starting to put myself out there, so it was a huge boost for my confidence.”
Lisa is now a co-owner of the shop ‘CC Creatives’ on the quay and sells her prints, paintings, and calendars there.
Ms Dunphy said that “after two decades, it was lifestyle changes for us all”, which is why they have decided to sell.
Ms Dunphy, on behalf of all the owners of the Kazbar and Davy Mac’s, would like to thank all of the staff for their years of service. She said, “Without them, we wouldn’t have any of it – they are the lifeblood of the industry.”
The asking price for the two pubs is €2.4 million and Ms Dunphy said that the real estate agency, Sherry Fitzgerald, is “talking to a number of parties”.
