Irish Independent

Man who replenished the cupboard

Gerald Flynn - The Thursday Interview

with Paddy Sweeney who, since taking over the 'Mother Hubbards' restaurant in 1995 has invested more than £2 million in the Co Kildare operation.
 
 

'Young Paddy Sweeney
Met old Mother Hubbard
He came up with £2 million
To replenish her cupboard

He's planning to franchise
Forever on the phone
He's unlike Hubbard's pet
A busy dog with a bone'
 

When Paddy Sweeney sees a restaurant he doesn't look for the menu. Instead he counts cars and trucks parked nearby. He then looks at the property, taking a keen interest in its proximity to a busy road.
One such establishment which caught his eye in 1995 was Mother Hubbards near Kinnegad, on the busy Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Sligo/Mayo route. No stranger to fast-food outlets, he was immediately struck by the potential of this roadside cafe.
Mother Hubbards is a lon-established food-stop, originally mainly frequented by truck drivers who stopped at a caravan with a serving hatch parked on a piece of old road.
The business was started in the late 1970s by an Australian, Barry McDonald, who called his caravan stop 'Mother Hubbards'. Now there are plans to develop up to 20 Mother Hubbards outlets around the country.
In 1990 McDonald sold out to Mayoman John Healy, who further developed the business with a purpose-built restaurant and truck-parking facilities. Healy, who also promoted music acts, later developed the Sheep Walk Inn pub in Roscommon.
Sweeney enquired whether Mother Hubbards might be for sale and then offered enough to ensure it was on the market. He admits he paid a handsome premium but his intention in 1995 was to develop the original site and then build a franchise operation once he had made a success of it.
Over the past two years he has invested more than £2 million in the Co Kildare catering operation and has nearly doubled sales to over £1.5 million a year, partly by building on a new self-service restaurant.
But Paddy Sweeney was no casual passing motorist with a bright idea and more than £1 million in his back pocket. Since 1990 he has run five Midland outlets of Pat McDonagh's 'Supermacs' restaurants.
He was the first Supermac franchisee when he opened his first outlet in his native Loughrea. Apparently what Sweeney knew about catering could fit in an eggcup.
He called on the assistance of his sister Yvonne, a trained Domestic Science teacher, who accepted the offer to swap the classroom for the kitchen, getting 10pc of the business.
Between them they soon developed further Supermac franchises in Kilkenny, Thurles, Tullamore and Roscrea. Sweeney bought the properties and developed his taste for property development.
He grew up in Loughrea, where his parents ran a hardware shop and reared eight children. Paddy left school after his Inter Cert to work in the family business. He was forever seeking opportunities and explored many in his native Loughrea.
At one stage he was making marble fireplaces and at another he was losing money running a tool hire business. He has another business restoring and exporting pine furniture to the US.
The Supermacs venture worked well after hisinitial approach to McDonagh, a teacher in nearby Ballinasloe, who started his fast-food shop when he was refused permission for a snooker/gaming hall.
Sweeney had a property he planned to develop as a shoe shop but decided to emulate McDonagh and suggested a franchise deal. He says his local AIB branch has backed him in his ventures.
"I'm with them since 1980 and I think they feel I have a good track record."
His mother still works in the family business, which he split into business units leased to four managers.
"I prefer to slice a loaf, take my share and pass on the rest. The lads in the shop were loyal to me and I plan on being loyal to them," says the clean-cut 37-year-old single Galwayman.
He has developed a shopping centre in Tullamore with local businessman Tom McNamara, is building 18 apartments and retail units at the former Ritz cinema in Athlone, and earlier this year bought O'Meara's Hotel in Nenagh, which he will upgrade.
Mother Hubbards remains his main project. "I paid a sizeable premium to John Healy with a view to securing the name and acquiring a European patent on the name." He has developed a service-driven operation which has turned into the country's best-known roadside eating place.
 

This is not his hype as he shows details of a £15,000 survey he had conducted by Tourism and Development International. More than half of 377 travellers surveyed described it as their favourite journey stopping point on the route.
Over one-third reported they had stopped there at least 20 times and more than half the truck drivers and reps sampled said they called in at least once a week. About 60pc of customers said they would be "very likely" to use another Mother Hubbards branch, if they existed.
It was all Sweeney and his growing management team needed. The only obstacle was development capital, so they sold the Supermacs interests back to McDonagh three months ago. Already they had detailed architects' plans for modular truck stops and restaurants.
Two weeks ago they advertised for potential franchisees and within a week had more than twenty applicants. Paddy Sweeney says he has no interest in franchise deals with doctors, dentists or solicitors with spare cash.
He is looking for people, perhaps a couple, eager and willing to run the restaurant themselves and put in the long hours and get to know their customers.
With his marketing manager Brendan Glynn and operations director David Smyth, they have emphasised service. Their core market remains drivers of articulated lorries and delivery trucks. To meet their needs they developed a large truck park with, security, showers and locker facilities and a postal/message facility.
Unusual but not exceptional in European terms. What is unusual is that these are all free. It's part of the loyalty payback.
Sweeney says some drivers have two meals a day there and spend a few nights a week sleeping in the cabs in the parking area. They appreciate the washing facilities. The restaurant has also developed a barber shop and an alarm-call service when their breakfast is cooked, from 5am onwards.
But the emphasis has been on not being too posh. "Some people come here for a meal out, others just because it's convenient and they are hungry," explains Smyth. "We have new Jaguars and old Minis parked side by side outside."
The buzz of mobile phones dominates the morning rush. Some months ago Sweeney noticed that those on 086 numbers had to walk outside to get a good reception. Eircell had a booster nearby so he contacted Digifone to upgrade their reception. Now customers can eat and talk.
West of Ireland business has been crucial and Yvonne Sweeney says most school groups stop there rather than in towns as no alcohol is sold. The daily CityLink private bus service from Galway stops on each journey. The company supports some Mayo charities and football teams, which is not surprising as on match weekends they could do up to 20,000 fried eggs.
 

The business now employs 110 staff from the Edenderry - Kinnegad - Enfield area and opens from 5am to 11.30pm.
"This place is won or lost with the staff, whom I never cease to praise and encourage. If they are well looked after it rubs off on the customer and thier money is what impresses the bank manager," says Sweeney succinctly.
But the planning authorities do not share his enthusiasm. Sweeney has not been allowed develop a filling station on the site. Slowly some engineers are conceding that dedicated truck stops are preferable to having 12-wheel lorries parked on village footpaths.
Sweeney plans to develop up to 20 Mother Hubbards and lease them to his franchisees. He has already targeted sites on the primary roads out of Dublin and on the west coast. They will include tourist information centres, showers, meeting rooms, a restaurant and petrol station, assuming the planners agree.
 
 
LIFE LINES
 
Name:Patrick Sweeney
Age:37
From:Loughrea, Co Galway
Family Status:Single
Occupation:Property Developer and Restauranteur
Career:He left school at 15 to work in his parents' hardware and builders' providers shop. He has tried a variety of business ventures, most of them successful. His biggest venture was as the first Supermac franchisee, which he developed to six counties in the midlands. He then progressed to developing properties and apartments in Tullamore, Thurles and Athlone. Recently he bought a hotel in Nenagh. Two years ago he bought the 'Mother Hubbards' roadside restaurant which he has enlarged. He sold his Supermac franchises last December. He is currently offering up to 20 lease-back franchises for 'Mother Hubbards' outlets around the country.
Motto:Being loyal to your staff and customers will keep your bank manager happy.
 

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