Enemy at the Gates
If you've followed the local news in Cork recently, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Vikings have picked up their old hobby of pillaging and plundering again, and that a fleet of them is currently sailing up the Lee to ransack the city, or more specifically the cafes and restaurants. The "independent" hospitality community is in an uproar, and it is more than vocal about this. The reason? Two large chains are planning to open branches in the city centre, Starbucks, and JD Wetherspoons. They are threatening the very identity of Cork, as well as the livelihood of all pubs and cafes in the city!!!!! Give. Me. A. Freaking. Break! Okay, let's take a deep breath and take this from the top again. Apart from a few Costa Coffee outlets, the city has mostly flown under the radar of the big players in the coffee business for most of the 2000s. Seattle based Starbucks Coffee Company had tried their luck with a coffee shop outside the arrivals area at Cork Airport, b...