O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars

Foundations

In 1988, Irish businessman, Brody Sweeney set up his first sandwich shop in Dublin. He chose the name O'Brien’s because it was the most common name in the phone book and he wanted a very common Irish surname in the event of expansion overseas.

Initially only in Ireland, the chain once operated over 300 sandwich bars in Australia, China, Denmark, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, India, Indonesia, Bahrain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and Thailand.

There are two left in Singapore, one located in the Singapore General Hospital and the other in the CBD.

Restaurants

The layout of the sandwich cafe follows a particular pattern. In most cases there are tables and chairs with a take-away option. Outlets are usually single storey. Outdoor seating is sometimes offered.

Several different breads are available, including rolls and two types of wraps. If eaten in-store, crisps are served with the sandwich. Fillings include a range of meats, cheese, vegetables and sauces.

Irish employment law broken

In November 2008, Sweeney acknowledged that the company had not complied with rules on Sunday premiums before an intensive campaign by the National Employment Rights Authority in the catering industry.

Restructure

In June 2009, the company announced that its UK business went into administration, and in July 2009, the Irish business entered examinership. The court was told the chain would close an unspecified number of its 85 stores in Ireland to ease its debt of more than €4 million. On 7 October 2009, it was announced O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars, which employs 800 people in Ireland, had gone into liquidation.