Whelan's of Wexford Street, one of Dublin's best known live music venues

12 OF DUBLIN’S most well-known nightspots are to come under the control of the one entertainment group.

The Mercantile Group and Capital Bars Group have today merged their businesses bringing their various respective venues under the control of one central operator.

The new enlarged group will be known as the Mercantile Group.

The merger is expected to be completed “imminently”. All of the venues are based in Dublin 2, just south of the Liffey.

Opium bar and restaurant

The 12 venues involved are:

• Café en Seine, Dawson Street
• East Side Tavern, Leeson Street
• Howl at the Moon, Mount Street
• Marcel’s, Merrion Row
• Opium, a bar and club on Wexford Street
• Pichet, a restaurant on Trinity Street
• Soder & Ko, a bar and restaurant on Georges Street
• The George, Georges Street
• The Green Hen, Exchequer Street
• The Mercantile Hotel, Dame Street
• Whelan’s, Wexford Street
• A new, as yet unnamed bar/club, on South William Street

Soder & Ko

The George

The new group will be led by Frank Gleeson, current chief executive of the Mercantile Group in its current guise.

“This is a transformational deal for our businesses and will position the Mercantile Group at the forefront of the sector in Dublin,” Gleeson said today.

We have ambitious plans to grow the business further both in Dublin and internationally and we are looking forward to a very exciting period ahead.

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