Benny lends White House touch to Bodega revamp

By Rose Martin

Thursday, February 05, 2009

CHANDELIERS from the White House, inspiration from the Gaudi House, a deposit from Gurranabraher Credit Union and the redevelopment of arguably Cork city’s best known night spot.

While not immediately connected they do have a certain commonality — one Benny McCabe.

The publican, wit, aesthete and smart businessman has 30 people employed in the reconstruction phase of the Bodega Bar, which will employ 50 full and part-time staff when it opens in May.

Mr McCabe owes his start to the northside credit union who gave him a deposit for his first pub, while the White House and Gaudi are the inspiration behind his new venture, St Peter’s Market on Cornmarket Street.

The owner of Sin É, The Mutton Lane Inn, The Oval and Crane Lane, has just started work on the landmark premises and is investing €10m in recreating his Belle Epoque (Golden Age) vision for the Coal Quay and Cork.

And while he’ll retain the name, he’s more inclined to use its former title, St Peter’s Market, tagging on The Bodega for the nightclub element.

"It’s a beautiful space and justice is now being done to it — there will be copies of the gas chandeliers from the White House and the style will have the essence of Gaudi’s house, Viennese cafes and Parisian salons," he said.

"Sixty local artists are working on the project and I want to give ownership of St Peter’s back to the city — it’s a public building and I suppose I have high moral and artistic aspirations for the project.

" I’ll never get a chance to work on a space like this again."

And as to the price paid for the building, (€8m to property developer, Owen O’Callaghan), he says "haggling is for carpets and pressure is for tyres".

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, February 05, 2009