Who We Are

In ’05 we left the familiar surroundings of Dublin for the first time and opened three venues in the People’s Republic of Cork. Having honed and perfected our hosting skills in Captain Americas and Wagamama, we opened one more of each on the banks of the River Lee.

Rounding off the year, Suas opened, the first of what would be many rooftop venues across the Group.

Returning to the fair streets of Dublin in ’10, we reinforced our Captain Americas and Wagamama offerings by opening new venues in the thriving suburb of Blanchardstown. We brought Dublin’s first dive bar to the city in the form of Garage Bar in Temple bar, which now goes by Anne’s.

Later that same year, we became nightclub owners for the first time by taking ownership of The Workman’s Club, creating a space where indie and alternative music is celebrated.

In ’11, Dublin’s taste for wagamama’s fusion food was growing, so we opened our third venue, this time in Dundrum. Heading back into the city in ’12, we made strong commitments to nightlife by opening four venues.

The Liquor Rooms and Vintage Cocktail Club gave Dubliners new venues to enjoy some of the capital’s tastiest drinks. Bison Bar & BBQ introduced Dublin to proper smoked meats, honed to perfection by months of training and research in the American deep south. With Everleigh, we brought a new space to Dublin’s famous party street, Harcourt Street.

These were some of our busiest years where we brought now-iconic places to Dublin. The lush interiors of Peruke & Periwig, the striking yellow and red sign of WOWBURGER was displayed for the very first time in The Workman’s Club, and people gathered at Mary’s Bar & Hardware for catch-ups with friends.

Relaxed dining in up-market surrounds took flight in this period too as Union Café and Angelina’s began serving customers on Dublin’s leafy streets.

17 was one of the busiest years in our history. Four more WOWBURGERS opened their doors in Ranelagh, Tallaght, Parnell Street, and Wicklow Street. We took ownership of the iconic Elephant & Castle in Temple Bar, cooked up Dublin’s best steaks in Tomahawk, and brought people together in Dollard & Co. Roberta’s saw New York-Italian cuisine hit the streets of Temple Bar under a stunning glass ceiling.

Bringing more great ideas for date night to the people of Rathmines, we restored and opened the art-deco Stella Cinema and added the Stella Cocktail Club too.

A busy ’17 set us up for an even busier ’18 where we opened a whopping 12 venues. Three new Elephant & Castles opened in Churchtown, Sandyford, and Rathmines, while The Stella Diner opened in Rathmines as well. The Devlin opened in Ranelagh as the suburbs first hotel, with the addition of our second Stella Cinema as well as Layla’s Rooftop Restaurant and Americana, bringing more buzz and excitement to the already trendy neighbourhood.

The Grayson’s amazing dining room and The Lucky Duck’s sumptuous interiors rounded off the year with a touch of class. ’18 saw us head to Westmeath and turn a former country house hotel into Glasson Lakehouse, a sumptuous waterside retreat.

Adding even more quality venues to the Press Up portfolio in ’19 and ’20, we welcomed even more guests to stay in Dublin by taking over The Clarence and opening The Mayson, while Cork saw the opening of The Dean. Our guests at The Mayson were the first to experience POWER, the first of our gyms that now has four locations.

Our expertise in dining grew with the opening of an Elephant & Castle in Monkstown, our first Indian restaurant with Doolally, and the lively Mackenzie’s and Isabelle’s, while our baristas got to work in our second DIME Coffee location and pints were first poured in John’s Haberdashery on Thomas Street. In response to our customer’s changing needs during the pandemic, we opened RICE, our first takeaway-only location.

And the future looks bright too, having opened Mama Yo just in time for Valentine’s Day 2022, we went on to bring The Dean, Sophie’s, POWER Gym and Elephant & Castle to the cultural city of Galway, as well as our first chipper, Giuseppe’s, in Dublin and emporium for all things Irish, The Giddy Dolphin. Over the last couple of years Elephant & Castle has popped up at the iconic McDaniel’s of Brittas Bay in the picturesque Wicklow countryside, and we were so excited to add Ashton’s in the buzzing suburb of Clonskeagh.

Keep an eye out for more brands joining the Press Up family in 23′ and beyond; Bert’s Bowl and Stella Cinema in Bray, Co. Wicklow, to name a few.