Capital Bars
Capital Bars was an Irish leisure company that operated bars, nightclubs, hotels and restaurants, primarily in Dublin city centre.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Capital Bars plc was an Irish leisure and hospitality company based in Dublin. Formerly known as Break for the Border Group plc, it built a portfolio of bars, nightclubs, hotels and restaurants concentrated in Dublin city centre. The company’s operations were tied to prominent urban hospitality venues, including themed bars, large-format pubs, hotels and a Planet Hollywood franchise. The business grew from O'Dwyers Bar and Lounge on Mount Street in Dublin 2. The family-run pub was extensively refurbished by Liam O'Dwyer in the early 1980s and became an early example of the Victorian-style pub format that later became associated with Dublin nightlife. It also helped popularise the sale of lunch-time pub food, or “pub-grub,” in the city. The company subsequently developed or acquired additional venues, using distinctive themes and central locations to attract evening, weekend and tourist trade. Capital Bars reached its largest reported portfolio in 2001. At that point it had 11 pubs and nightclubs, a Planet Hollywood franchise and three hotels. Its venues included Break for the Border, Café En Seine, Howl at the Moon, The Dragon and The George in Dublin. The portfolio covered several different hospitality formats, from themed and high-volume bars to hotels and restaurants, while remaining geographically focused on central Dublin. The group’s expansion was followed by asset disposals and financial pressure. A significant number of pubs were sold before 2009, including Bad Bob's, which was divested in 2006. Poor financial performance was reported during the middle of the 2000s. In September 2009, the company entered a combined examinership and receivership process, shortly after reporting a loss of approximately €10 million for the preceding year. The restructuring affected a substantial part of the operating group. Desmond and Liam O'Dwyer later repurchased ownership of much of the section placed into receivership through Toji Holdings, while other premises left examinership under separate arrangements. The restructuring did not lead to a lasting restoration of the original portfolio. Zanzibar was closed and sold for redevelopment as a hotel. The Trinity Capital Hotel was sold in 2013, followed by the Grafton Capital Hotel in 2015; the latter closed afterward for refurbishment. In late 2014, the remaining named pubs—Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon—were sold to rival operator Mercantile Group for a reported €15 million. After the sale of its operational assets, Capital Bars ceased to operate as a hospitality group. The company was dissolved in 2017. Its history reflects the rise of Dublin’s themed bar and city-centre hospitality sector, followed by the financial and restructuring pressures that affected highly leveraged or heavily concentrated leisure businesses during the late 2000s and subsequent property-market recovery.
History
Capital Bars developed from O'Dwyers Bar and Lounge, a small family-operated pub on Mount Street in Dublin 2. Liam O'Dwyer extensively refurbished the premises during the early 1980s, creating an early Victorian-style pub and introducing lunch-time pub food. This venue became the foundation for a broader hospitality business focused on Dublin’s central nightlife and visitor economy. The company later operated under the name Break for the Border Group plc before becoming Capital Bars plc. Its growth strategy combined acquisition, development and operation of venues rather than concentrating on a single bar format. The portfolio included multi-themed bars, high-capacity pubs, nightclubs, hotels, restaurants and a Planet Hollywood franchise. The venues were generally located in prominent parts of Dublin city centre, allowing the group to serve local nightlife customers as well as tourists and hotel guests. The group reached its reported peak in 2001, when it controlled 11 pubs and nightclubs, one Planet Hollywood franchise and three hotels. That same period marked a change in ownership structure: Desmond and Liam O'Dwyer acquired Capital Bars in 2001 and took the company private the following year. The business subsequently reduced its portfolio. Bad Bob's was sold in 2006 for a reported €12 million, and other pubs were divested before the financial restructuring that followed. Capital Bars experienced weak financial performance in the middle of the 2000s. On 19 September 2009, it entered a combined examinership and receivership process, five days after the publication of results showing a loss of approximately €10 million in the previous year. At the time, the operating portfolio included Break for the Border, Café En Seine, Howl at the Moon, The Dragon and The George, all situated in central Dublin. The O'Dwyers used Toji Holdings to repurchase ownership of much of the business that had entered receivership. Other premises exited examinership separately, but the recovery did not result in the re-creation of the former group. Zanzibar was closed and later sold for hotel redevelopment. The company continued disposing of its hotel and pub interests: the Trinity Capital Hotel was sold in 2013, and the Grafton Capital Hotel was sold in 2015 before closing for refurbishment. In late 2014, the remaining pubs Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon were sold to Mercantile Group for a reported €15 million. With its operational assets sold, Capital Bars no longer functioned as an operating hospitality company. It was dissolved in 2017. The company’s trajectory illustrates the development of Dublin’s themed-bar economy, the use of central real estate as a hospitality platform, and the vulnerability of a concentrated leisure portfolio to declining financial performance and restructuring pressures.
- 2017
Dissolution
[1]Capital Bars was dissolved after its operational assets had been sold.
- 2015
Grafton Capital Hotel sold
[1]The Grafton Capital Hotel was sold and later closed for refurbishment.
- 2014
Remaining pubs sold
[1]Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon were sold to Mercantile Group.
- 2013
Trinity Capital Hotel sold
[1]The Trinity Capital Hotel was sold during the group’s post-restructuring asset disposals.
- 2009
Examinership and receivership
[1]Capital Bars entered a combined examinership and receivership process after reporting a loss of approximately €10 million for the previous year.
- 2006
Bad Bob's divested
[1]Bad Bob's was sold for a reported €12 million as the group reduced its operating portfolio.
- 2002
Company taken private
[1]The O'Dwyers took Capital Bars private following their acquisition.
- 2001
Portfolio reaches reported peak
[1]The group reportedly operated 11 pubs and nightclubs, a Planet Hollywood franchise and three hotels.
- 2001
O'Dwyers acquire Capital Bars
[1]Brothers Desmond and Liam O'Dwyer acquired control of the company.
- 1980
O'Dwyers Bar and Lounge refurbished
[1]Liam O'Dwyer extensively refurbished the family pub on Mount Street, helping establish the Victorian-style format associated with the business.
Products and positioning
A Dublin-focused leisure and hospitality operator built around prominent city-centre bars, themed nightlife venues, hotels and restaurants.
Bars and pubs
Dublin city-centre bars and pubs
The company’s core operating assets were centrally located Dublin bars and pubs. These included both traditional pub environments and larger, themed or high-volume venues designed for nightlife, food service and tourist traffic.
Nightclubs and themed bars
Themed nightlife venues
Capital Bars operated multi-themed venues such as Break for the Border, Café En Seine, Howl at the Moon, The Dragon and The George. Their positioning relied on distinctive interiors, entertainment-led hospitality and central Dublin locations.
Hotels
Capital Bars hotels
The group operated hotels including the Trinity Capital Hotel and Grafton Capital Hotel. These properties complemented the company’s bar and restaurant interests and formed part of the hotel portfolio reported at its 2001 peak.
Restaurant franchise
Planet Hollywood franchise
Capital Bars operated one Planet Hollywood franchise as part of its broader hospitality portfolio. The franchise extended the group beyond locally developed bars into an internationally themed restaurant format.
Brand decisions
2014
Sale of remaining pub portfolioM&ABackground
Following restructuring and earlier disposals, Capital Bars continued to sell its remaining operating assets.
Action taken
Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon were sold to Mercantile Group.
Aftermath
The sale further dismantled the operating group; the company was ultimately dissolved in 2017.
Reported sale value. €15 million (Late 2014)
2009
Entry into examinership and receivershipOtherBackground
The company reported poor financial performance, including a loss of approximately €10 million for the previous year.
Action taken
Capital Bars entered a combined examinership and receivership process on 19 September 2009.
Aftermath
The O'Dwyers repurchased much of the affected business through Toji Holdings, while other premises exited examinership separately.
Reported loss. €10 million loss (Previous financial year, reported in September 2009)
2002
Take-private transactionStrategyBackground
After acquiring Capital Bars in 2001, Desmond and Liam O'Dwyer changed the company’s ownership structure.
Action taken
The brothers took the company private in 2002.
Aftermath
The privately controlled business continued operating and later reduced its portfolio before entering restructuring in 2009.
Recent events
- 2017
Capital Bars dissolved after asset disposals[1]
Other
The company was dissolved after the sale of its operational assets and the end of its hospitality activities.
- 2015
Grafton Capital Hotel sold[1]
M&A
The Grafton Capital Hotel was sold and subsequently closed for refurbishment.
- 2014
Capital Bars sells remaining Dublin pubs to Mercantile Group[1]
M&A
Café En Seine, The Dragon, The George and Howl at the Moon were sold to rival operator Mercantile Group in late 2014 for a reported €15 million.
- 2013
Trinity Capital Hotel sold[1]
M&A
Capital Bars sold the Trinity Capital Hotel as part of the disposal of its remaining hotel assets.
- 2009
Capital Bars enters examinership and receivership[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Capital Bars entered a combined examinership and receivership process on 19 September 2009 after reporting a loss of approximately €10 million for the previous year.
- 2006
Bad Bob's sold as Capital Bars reduces its portfolio[1]
Other
Bad Bob's was among the assets divested by the group before the 2009 restructuring, with the sale reported at €12 million.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/capital-bars · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled