What is your business?
It's an Irish cafe/restaurant for the local community. We're from Tipperary and we try to attract local workers, single guys in the community, quite traditional.
How long have you been here?
Since November 2010, but we've just had a fresh lick of paint and a new floor. It used to be owned by these Greek people who had been here over 50 years. They catered for the Irish community as back in the day there were a lot more Irish in the area. We just want to make sure people know it's changed hands.
When are you at your busiest?
Probably on a Friday morning, we're really busy then, and Sunday. We do Sunday roast dinners and traditional Irish fare so people come with their families.
What is your best seller?
Irish stew and boiled bacon, Irish breakfast with bubble and squeak and white pudding. We do a £5 lunch deal from the set menu with a free drink which is really popular.
What are your typical customers?
Our typical customers have been coming here for years, coming with their grandparents and now they've grown up and bring their children here.
We get a lot of builders and local workers or retired people and families at the weekend.
How are you coping with the economic downturn?
We're working hard to make sure we keep our head above water. A lot of people don't have money to eat out any more but you can come here and
have a three course meal for £10 per head. It's good quality homemade food for cheap, probably cheaperthan if you went to Tesco's and made it yourself.
What is your unique selling point?
Probably that we're Irish and this is an Irish cafe with all homemade food, homemade chips and we do take-away as well.
Any plans to expand?
I suppose if the opportunity arose it wouldn't be something we'd neglect. At the moment we're just trying to keep going in these rough economic times.
We're hoping the progression of the Shepherd's Bush regeneration will be good for our business.
