Johnnie Fox’s turnover up 9.7% to €4.18m
Despite it’s isolated location in the Dublin mountains, Johnnie Fox’s pub enjoyed an Operating Profit of €334,916 on a turnover up 9.7% to €4.18 million in the year to March 2012 and the pub expects a 20% increase in turnover this year with The Gathering, according to co-proprietor Tony McMahon.
26 March 2013
The net profit figure is particularly encouraging as the pub suffered a loss of €51,194 the previous year.
The pub has played host to seven Heads of State, six prime ministers and various celebrities along the way.
The McMahons bought out their four partners some 26 years ago and now employ 82 staff.
Staff costs rose 4% to €1.54 million from €1.48 million while the directors’ remuneration and other emoluments accounted for €111,000, down slightly on the previous year’s €112,971.
“We are booked out most nights,” stated Tony McMahon, adding that the pub was bucking the trend of how rural pubs are doing at the moment.
He also pointed out that only 420 people live within a 2.5-mile radius of the pub and he attributes the pub’s success to being “totally different” to other pubs by staging musical entertainment for tourists, specially bussed out, each night.
“We’ve no TVs or sports here,” he told Drinks Industry Ireland, “We concentrate on the music seven nights a week, Winter and Summer and the hooley on most nights of the week.
“It’s surprising how many people that do visit Ireland and their relatives have to take them somewhere,” he said, “This is where we win as everything is under one roof: the music, food and entertainment.”
Johnny Fox’s was the first pub ever to advertise on the Aer Lingus flight magazine Cara.
“I insisted on a half-page ad going lengthways at the time to highlight our pub,” he says and he still advertises heavily abroad.
“With The Gathering I can’t see why we wouldn’t do well as they have to go out someplace.”
And judging on the bookings so far this year, he’s reckoning on a 20% increase.
“We’ve bookings right up to September already,” he added.
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