Long Read

Bunsen, Mad Egg and Dough Bros: The firms leading Ireland’s mid-market restaurant scene

Limited menus, value for money and canny use of social media – meet the young mid-market restaurateurs who have found success by keeping a laser focus on their offering

Stephen O’Reilly, founder and managing director at Mad Egg and co-owner of Pitt Bros: value for money is the biggest driver. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Think of Bunsen and you think of burgers. Think Mad Egg and you think of chicken. Pi brings pizza to mind, while Chimac prompts thoughts of Korean fried chicken. The list goes on.

While these restaurants have their own identities, they all share common traits. Slick branding, sleek interiors and limited menus. They all use social media to shout about their high-quality local ingredients. They are part of a mid-market restaurant boom which has changed ...