THE team behind Croí Restaurant in the Square are busily preparing for their new venture which is set to create around 10 full-time jobs and a few more part-time positions within the next few weeks.

Paul Cotter, Noel Keane and Kevin O’Connor have enjoyed great success since they opened the restaurant back in May 2017.

Now the award-winning restaurant is to move to the former Restaurant Uno/Duffins premises in Princes Street, while a new family restaurant, Grá Bistro, will replace it in the Square.

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Chef Paul Cotter will remain in the Square at Grá Bistro which will be a more casual dining, family-friendly experience, while Croí will continue to provide an excellent culinary experience in a whole new setting, with Chef Noel Keane in the kitchen and Kevin O’Connor front of house.

“Grá will be a more family-centred restaurant with burgers, pasta dishes, fajitas etc. done very well for people looking for a more casual dining experience,” said Noel Keane.

“Between the two restaurants we’ll be employing around 25 staff and we have most of the new staff already hired. We intend to close Croí after Mother’s Day on March 31 and reopen it as Grá Bistro just days later. Croí is scheduled to open the following weekend in the new Princes Street premises. It’s a lovely location here and we’ll have more space here for diners, spread over two floors,” said Noel.

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Work was in full swing at the Princes Street premises when we called and Noel is promising the new decor will be worth waiting for and will have a vastly changed layout from the previous restaurants which were located there.

The restaurant will have a lounge area just inside the entrance and will have a full bar licence. There is also space upstairs for diners and a separate room which can be booked for more private dinner parties.