On-trade

Press Up buys Howl at Moon for €3.2m

The Mercantile Group has sold the well-known pub/nightclub Howl at the Moon to Press Up Entertainment for €3.2 million.

 

Paddy McKillen Jnr heads Press Up, now the country’s largest pub chain.

Formerly owned by O’Dwyer brothers Liam and Des through their Capital Bars operation (now in insolvency), Howl at the Moon joined three other Capital Bars outlets – Café en Seine, The George and Dragon in a €15 million group purchase by Danu Investment Partners in 2014.

These four bars were subsequently merged with Frank Gleeson’s Mercantile Group last year.

The Mount Street outlet has a staff of 30 according to a report in the Sunday Times recently – and debts of €2.5 million.

Press Up has also been busy purchasing the former Aungier House pub in Dublin, planning to overhaul it to the tune of €1 million, according to the Sunday Times.

Aungier House had been placed on the market last September for €700,000.


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