Part of the unique frontage of Bewley’s Café. Photo: landhere / flickr CC.
Eye - 20 February 2015
From buns at Bewley's to the power of posters
The battle for Bewley’s
Buns and beverages at Bewley’s Café are more than the sum of their parts to the people of Dublin.
The Café was founded in 1927 by Ernest Bewley, a Quaker. In 1972 the company was transferred into a trust company owned by employees. It was acquired by the present owners in 1986.
Victoria White, in The Evening Herald, describes the unique building: ‘There’s not just the six stained-glass windows designed by the famous Harry Clarke… There’s the stunning front of the building, which evokes ancient Egypt in gold leaf, inspired by the mania which followed the discovery of king Tut’s tomb… And, of course, there’s the main room itself, with its high ceilings, its chandeliers and its velvet banquettes.’
