THE OWNERS of a Limerick-based doughnut chain say that, while business is tough at the moment, they have their eyes on opening further stores.
Nom! Treats, run by friends and business partners Barry Byrne and Ross Keyes, currently has three stores across Limerick. Now, while operating their stores at the Crescent Shopping Centre, Thomas Street, and Castletroy Town Centre, the pair say that, while there are significant challenges facing businesses at the moment, they plan on taking another piece of the pie.
Speaking to the Limerick Post, Barry Byrne said the prices of stock and ingredients is one of the chain’s biggest challenges at the moment.
“The price of ingredients and the price of stock has gone through the roof in the last couple of years, we’re seeing increases on different things by maybe 20 or 30 per cent from this time last year. We thought it would calm down after Covid, but it hasn’t – if anything it’s actually got worse, with the war in Ukraine and now the Red Sea issue.”
“Also the price of wages has gone up this year, so too has the cost of living and rent and all that kind of stuff, so our biggest issue is cost,” Mr Byrne explained.
Despite price increases across the board, Mr Byrne said that Nom! hasn’t passed increases on to the customers so far, but that this may have to change in the future.
Despite bigger multinational chains entering the Limerick market in recent days, Barry said that his hope is that people will continue to support local business.
“We’re just two lads who had a dream to try and build a few shops, and we’ve achieved that. We’re going to keep going with that,” he said.
Nom! Treats currently has a staff of 25 across its three stores and bakery, with the doughnuts baked fresh every day in Limerick City.
At the end of each day, Barry says, any leftover stock is donated to local homeless charity Novas.
While remaining tight-lipped on future plans, Barry told the Limerick Post that he and partner Ross Keyes are planning on opening two further stores within the next six months.
“I’ll say different counties,” Barry hinted, “and maybe one other in Limerick, but I can’t really say much else.”
The one thing that Barry really wants the world to know about Nom! Treats is that it is passionate about supporting local.
“We really want people to realise who we are, what we’re about, and that we are from Limerick. I’m from Annacotty, Ross is from Crecora, we’re local, we spend local, we live local.”
On that local note, Mr Byrne shared that Nom! is in the process of working on a doughnut collaboration with Limerick fast food institution Chicken Hut.
“We’re really keen to do a doughnut with Chicken Hut and use their gravy, so we’re working on that at the moment. That would be like American style. It’s something that we’ve been asked for for so long,” Barry concluded.
