Reflections on Greystones - One Month In

If you missed it, we opened the doors to our second store in Greystones, Co. Wicklow on May 8th - our first home outside of Dingle. It's been just over a month, and we're only just about catching our breath!

Winton House has a bit of history to it, which wasn't lost on us. When the opportunity came up, we said yes instantly before throwing ourselves into it. Finding a space with character in a town we genuinely love felt like something we weren't going to overthink, and our home of Dingle had already set an extremely high bar.

Greystones made sense from the start - by the sea, the mountains on the doorstep, a community that supports local. We felt lucky, and we still do.

What happened between the first viewing and opening day was, a journey, to say the least!

There were unexpected roadblocks during the build that we won't get into, and there were days where we felt like the scaffolding would never be gone and the drilling would never end. But after committing to a date and turning around the shopfront in what can only be described as record time, we were looking around wondering if we'd actually be able to pull it off.

We did.. just about! 

There was dust being cleared off the rails with minutes to go before the doors opened, snags left, right and centre, and more than a few people who seemed genuinely surprised we'd managed to open when we said we would!

But the response from the Greystones community made all of it worth it. The people who've come through the doors have been brilliant. Locals picking up gifts for friends, for family, for themselves. Familiar faces who first found us in Dingle but now have us a little closer by. And then there are the ones who genuinely travelled across the country just to make a Greystones day trip of it - thank you.

It's still early days and there are plenty of teething issues to sort through, but we're getting there. Slowly, steadily, with a super community, strong coffee and good neighbours (we’re so grateful to The Fat Fox next door!). They've been keeping us caffeinated and fed from the start, and if you haven't been in yet, that's your next excuse for a Greystones visit sorted.

We also welcomed Rob to the team! Please give him a warm welcome...

Rob is our store manager for Greystones, managing all of the day-to-day of the shop and local community events. Rob’s role didn’t start the day we opened the shop though. He was on the ground for many weeks, liaising with builders, painters, carpenters, and making sure the shop opening date was all going to plan. You’ll find Rob in our shop during the week, and rarely without a smile on his face!

A bit about him…

He’s from Bray, but spent many years living in Dingle in hospitality. He used to play rugby in Greystones. Depending on the day, his Fat Fox coffee order is either a black americano, or a flat white. Be sure to give a warm welcome to Rob and pop in to him if you’re around the area! 

We've also got some brilliant local partnerships and events in the pipeline that we're excited to share soon. More on that soon!

For now, we're heading into summer with a lot to look forward to - sunny days on the south east, longer evenings, and our first ever Outwest Outdoor Club event coming up on July 4th! 

We'll be heading to the Little Sugar Loaf for a social hike, and it's going to be a good one. If that sounds like your kind of day out, you can find all the details below. We’d love to see you there!

One month in. Many more to come!

Thanks for reading, 

The Outwest Team

The history behind Mooney & Sons, Winton House

We feel incredibly lucky to be taking over a unit which such deep history within the Greystones community, holding such special memories for so many locals in the area. 

For over 60 years, Mrs Mooney ran her shop, catering for all needs - sweets, cleaning supplies, fuel, you name it - becoming a place that was the heart of the community, and herself becoming an icon, known as the Queen of Greystones.

After 60 years serving the people of Greystones, Mrs Mooney retired in 2015, and passed away in September 2020. Since then, the unit has been empty. We feel a huge sense of responsibility to do Mrs Mooney proud and to create that same community hub for the people of Greystones when we open the doors to Outwest.