Dublin based Itsa Bagel have made it into this year’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Industry Finalists for 2011.
Company owners, Peaches & Domini Kemp, have a long career in food in Ireland. Training in Leith's and Ballymaloe respectively, as well as working in Dublin's top restaurants, the sisters opened their first store in 1999 on Dublin’s Liffey Street.
The Itsa Bagel ethos received widespread critical acclaim and is one of Bridgestone’s 100 best restaurants in Ireland in its 2011 guide, concentrating on organic and local Irish produce, good service and tasty casual food.
They followed this with the opening of five branches of itsa bagel, the Feast Catering company and then by opening itsa4 restaurant in 2005. Their partnership with the stylish Brown Thomas Group has lead to further success with both Table Restaurant in Brown Thomas Cork and their more recent venture The Restaurant at Brown Thomas Dublin.
“We started this food company with the aim of serving you the best and freshest of everything, every day. We bring you the tastiest filled bagels, salads, soups, coffee, tea and goodies in Dublin.” say the Kemp girls. “Only the finest ingredients are used by our chefs and we prepare almost all the food ourselves including our goodies & soups. Our restaurants and our full service catering division, are all operated at the highest possible standards by our outstanding team of staff. With us, food comes first.”
Itsa currently employs 83 staff and had revenue of €5.8 million last year. The winner of the Ernst & Young Awards will be announced at a televised awards ceremony on October 21st
You can find out more abou itsa here at http://www.itsa.ie/home/
Follow them on Twitter at @itsa_bagelstore