The Happy Pear twins say the pandemic has forced them to close a few of their cafés, but has also been an opportunity to refocus on what they want in life and business.
Stephen and Dave Flynn started their first fruit and vegetable shop back in 2004, and in the years since have become a major national and international success story.
From cookbooks to cafés to a full food production facility, the rise of the two vegan food enthusiasts seemed unstoppable.
Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the Happy Pear - they've experienced "good bits, bad bits and everything in between".
However, Stephen and Dave told The Hard Shoulder the last year has also sped-up some of the changes they were already thinking about.
Stephen explained: “In our experience, back a few years ago we took part in an [Employment & Investment Incentive scheme], and ended up borrowing €1.5 million with the goal of opening up a number of cafés and setting up a central production facilities.
“After doing it for a few years, we ended up encountering this guy Charles Handy… a sort of business philosopher. We had a conversation with him in Cambridge at his farm, discussing what is success and what is enough.”
Dave said Charles was a ‘lovely, wise man’, observing: “The seeds were already planted, but he helped bring it to fruition: that we had lost our way a little bit, getting caught with the trappings of growth and success.”
At that point, the business was a clear success - with over €10 million in revenue, 200 staff and four cafés.
However, the twins found themselves working more than ever - and missing valuable time with their families as a result.
Stephen said: “As a result of that - and COVID has expedited it - [there's] a sense rather than bigger is better, maybe small is beautiful… instead of growing bigger, let’s grow better.
“For us, it’s been a reawakening - in the sense that we don’t have to necessarily open a load of cafés… we don’t want to.”
They say the pandemic certainly has been challenging, and they've had to close cafés - including one in Clondalkin, which closed last year after opening back in 2017.
Dave observed: “There’s been lots of hard bits, but it has also slowed things down, and we’ve got to spend more family time.
“It’s also been recalibrating - going if ‘I’m not going away on holidays, I’m going to have a really nice coffee and really enjoy it in the sun’.
“It has been recalibrating for the little things in your day, rather than big things on the horizon.”
You can listen back to the full Thursday interview below:
