Brú café a welcome addition to Mayo county town's main street

THERE was a buzz of anticipation during the week in Castlebar as Brú opened its doors on Main Street.

Brú is owned and operated by Pearce Parkinson, and offers speciality coffee, doorstep sandwiches, homemade pastries, and plenty of other tasty treats.

Pearce said the first week of business has been extremely busy.

“We got a great reception and we have plenty of coffee and sandwiches sold during our first week.

“People like the new look of the business, and the local businesses here have been very supportive,” he said.

“They (local businesses) are very happy to see a new café open on Main Street. They said it was needed, and it will bring more shoppers onto Main Street.

“The more people who come in here, the more likely they are to shop next door or in other shops on Main Street.”

Pearce has been in the hospitality sector since his family opened their first business in his native Donegal. His parents opened their first café when he was aged around eight back home in Moville, Inishowen, and a couple of years later opened a second café in Derry city.

“The concept for Brú Castlebar is based on my parents’ idea for their second café, which is nice and fresh doorstep sandwiches. Our bread is freshly baked in the local Storehouse Bakery. We try to give people good value,” he explained.

Pearce and his partner Lycia ensure that the menu has plenty to offer customers.

“My partner Lycia Heneghan and I do all our own homemade baking for the café. The first three days saw all of our doorstep sandwiches and pastries sell out.

“We offer speciality coffee, which is roasted by Geometry Coffee Roasters in Tuam, and they make nice fresh medium roast coffee. We also sell soup, and the food we have here is nice and simple and we also offer takeaway lunches as well.

“We also have a great team in the kitchen, and our staff have certainly been busy during the first week.”

It was all hands on deck in the weeks leading up to the official opening.

“A good friend of mine, Eddie Walsh, was in here over the last three weeks and we made all the tabletops, did our own decorating, and we sourced chairs for the café in Tralee,” said Pearce.

Pearce hopes his customers will enjoy their visit to Castlebar’s newest café.

“I would like to see the business grow and develop, that we also have a good steady trade, and customers feel that they are getting value for money and leave happy."