By Clyde Mooney
The hotel group that has become synonymous with Irish pubs intends to roll the successful theming out across three new venues.
Enfield's Boulevard Hotel, Moore Park's Fox & Lion and Leichhardt's Norton's on Norton are all scheduled to take on the Irish branding made popular by Patrick Gallagher and Gallagher Hotel Management (GHM).
All three venues are currently going through renovations that will include authentic furniture, joinery and bric-a-brac, which is currently en route by boat from the Emerald Isle.
The Fox & Lion was purchased in January of this year, and will be transformed from an old English-style pub to the new look, reopening early 2013.
Both the Boulevard and Norton's – the transaction on which was only finalised this week – are due to re-open as 'Gallaghers' later this year. [continues below]
Patrick Gallagher and wife, Angela
All three venues will also offer signature Irish dishes, such as lamb shanks, Irish stew, corned beef, and the Gallagher's famous steak and Guinness pie.
"Even the ugly crowd can come to an Irish pub, because everybody feels comfortable," Gallagher joked.
GHM is also opening a new French, Parisienne-style hotel in Sydney's inner-city King St, carrying on the success of the theme celebrating its four-year anniversary at North Sydney's Union Hotel in July.
Patrick Gallagher and his wife, Angela, told TheShout that these strongly branded hotels are proving a reliable business model for them, and new opportunities are often presenting themselves.
"There's no direct translation from Gaelic for 'no'… I always say to my staff – if you have to say no, find another way," Gallagher said.