Booze2Go, a pub chain that wasn't

Most of the time, a pub is a pub. Sometimes they're actually a theatre, or a hotel bar, that doesn't easily serve members of the public but does still retain the licence to do so. An

Very occasionally, they're an off-licence, using a pub licence which provides them with the rights to sell off-sales until 10pm. There are a limited number of premises doing this in Dublin to this day, S1349 Spar Baggot Street being probably the most notable - this was the well known Henry Grattan pub and has retained the licence.

There are also some very high end winebars and cafes which were pubs and allow drinking on premises with corkage paid - S0014 Probus Wines and S0395 Whelehans Wine Bar are notable here.

However, prior to the reduction of off-sale hours in 2008, there was a chain which made good use of pub licences abilities to sell til closing time . Every single branch of Booze2Go was a former pub, using the pub licence and its inherent ability to sell alcohol for sale off the premises. They had at least 7 branches that I have managed to trace so far.

The last year of the full chain appears to have been about 2009 - presumably the recovery in the pub market made premises more valuable as pubs after this. Handily for historical purposes, 2009 is also the year of the first Streetview pass of Dublin, and the Irn Bru colour scheme (orange and royal blue) is quite easily identifiable

Currently operating pubs that were Booze2Go branches in 2009:

N0097 Paddle & Peel, Bolton Street
S1472 Pifko, Ushers Quay
N0008 Mullets, Amiens Street
N0068 Glynns, Dorset Street
S1470 Agnes Brownes, Thomas Street

Two are still off-licences - well, one is a previously mentioned high end wine retailer.

S0014 Probus Wines, Fenian Street
N0104 - former Forum, Parnell Street - this may not have been the last name prior to Booze2Go. This is now branded as "Off Licence", without the garish paint scheme. Whether they sell Nigerian made Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, the product Forum specialised in, is not something I have yet checked!

Some additional info on two additional branches was provided on Twitter:

There was also one on Meath street now trading as Lucky’s, another that was formerly The Lantern in Harold’s cross now closed. All premises belong to Dominic Lydon and we’re leased to the one company who in turn ran up massive debts to suppliers & landlord before jumping ship

— graham mooney (@Graham_Mooney1) November 12, 2018