The Circular
The Circular is a privately held multi-concept neighborhood bar and venue in Dublin 8, Ireland, operating a single site with an all-day cafe (The Day Cafe), craft beer sidebar (The Other Hand), Neapolitan pizza (Coke Lane Pizza), bookable event spaces, and recurring community programming including a 250-week consecutive pub quiz and monthly Rialto Market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersDublin 8, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Circular does
The Circular is a privately operated neighborhood bar and multi-concept venue located at 536-538 South Circular Road, Rialto, Dublin 8, Ireland, founded in December 2019. The business operates a single physical site that functions as an all-day hospitality destination, spanning coffee service at The Day Cafe (open 7:30am-3:30pm weekdays) through bar and pizza service (Coke Lane Pizza from 4pm daily) into evening drinks at The Circular main bar and The Other Hand craft beer sidebar (22 taps, open Wed-Sat from 4pm). The venue comprises several distinct bookable spaces — Main Bar (4-20 people), The Good Room (10-25), The Back Room (events with Void soundsystem, projector, custom lighting), and the Back Yard / "Rialto Riviera" outdoor area — alongside un-bookable street-side seating.
Revenue is generated entirely through direct-to-consumer transactions: alcohol and food sales, table reservations, group catering packages (€17-€19 per person for groups of 10-30+, €55 sharing boards, 50% deposit, 12.5% service charge), weekly Wednesday pub quiz tickets (€7.50/person, 250+ consecutive weeks), and recurring programming including the monthly Rialto Market (last Saturday, 10:30-17:00) and occasional Night Markets. Pricing is in euros; pizza menu items range €12.70-€13.90 with gluten-free at +€2.20. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, APIs, or third-party delivery integrations are disclosed — operations rely on standard POS and the venue's own online reservation system at thecircular.ie.
The Circular is part of a small, privately held bar group that also includes Lucky's and Leonard's Corner, with shared ownership or management across venues. The firm is incorporated in Ireland, has 8 employees, has not raised external funding, and operates exclusively within Dublin 8. Recent operational moves include the late-2024 restructuring of in-house cafe concept from Daddy's Cafe to The Day Cafe following the departure of cafe operator Colm Keane, and ongoing team buildout via active Bar Manager and Bar Person hiring.
The Circular firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Circular
- Legal name
- The Circular
- Website
- https://thecircular.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Circular is a privately held multi-concept neighborhood bar and venue in Dublin 8, Ireland, operating a single site with an all-day cafe (The Day Cafe), craft beer sidebar (The Other Hand), Neapolitan pizza (Coke Lane Pizza), bookable event spaces, and recurring community programming including a 250-week consecutive pub quiz and monthly Rialto Market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Circular industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Neighborhood Bar & Venue
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA), Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)
Keywords
Where The Circular is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin 8
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Circular business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Food & Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from selling alcoholic drinks, coffee, and food (pizza, cafe items). The venue operates multiple food concepts: The Day Cafe (coffee, pastries, sandwiches) and Coke Lane Pizza (evening pizza service). Drinks include beer on 22 taps, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks.
- Pub Quiz Events: Weekly Wednesday pub quiz at €7.50 per person, minimum 2 people per table. First prize of €100 gift voucher. The quiz has run for 250+ consecutive weeks, demonstrating sustained event revenue.
- Table Reservations & Group Bookings: The venue accepts reservations for various spaces (Main Bar, Good Room, Back Room, Back Yard) for group events, birthdays, and private bookings. Booking system enables advance revenue through guaranteed covers.
- Group Catering: Coke Lane Pizza offers group deals: €19/person for 10 people (down to €17/person for 30+). Sharing boards at €55 serve 10 people. Requires advance booking with 50% deposit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pub Quiz Entry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pizza Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Group Pizza Deals |
| Other | Annual | Bar Manager Salary |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Bar Person Hourly Rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Circular product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Circular is a multi-use neighbourhood bar and venue on South Circular Road in Dublin 8 that operates as a single hospitality destination combining a main bar, a craft beer sidebar (The Other Hand), a daytime cafe (The Day Cafe), and an evening Neapolitan-style pizza kitchen (Coke Lane Pizza). It also rents semi-private event spaces (The Good Room, The Back Room, Back Yard) and hosts recurring community programming including a weekly Wednesday pub quiz and monthly Rialto Market.
Product overview
The Circular is a multi-use bar and venue in Dublin 8 that operates as a single unified hospitality offering. The core product is The Circular main bar, supplemented by The Other Hand craft beer sidebar, The Day Cafe for daytime service, and Coke Lane Pizza for evening food. The venue also offers bookable event spaces (The Good Room, The Back Room, Back Yard) and hosts recurring events including the weekly Rialto Market and Wednesday Pub Quiz. The various food, drink, and space offerings work together to create an all-day neighbourhood venue where customers can have coffee at 9am and drinks with friends at 9pm.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coke Lane Pizza: Neapolitan-style pizza operation serving from 4pm daily, offering pizza, sides, and group deals.
- The Day Cafe
- The Other Hand Bar
Products and services
- The Circular (Main Bar) The main bar area of The Circular — a big, airy space serving quality beers, wine, cocktails, and pizza across half-moon booths and cosy two-tops for individual patrons and walk-in customers.
- The Other Hand Bar A candle-lit sidebar with a craft beer focus — 22 draught taps plus well-stocked fridges — and music through a Void soundsystem. Features snugs for settling in, open Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm.
- The Day Cafe A daytime cafe open seven days a week serving coffee, iced drinks, pastries, cakes, and sandwiches. Previously operated as Daddy's Cafe under Colm Keane until late 2024, when it was reworked and reopened as The Day Cafe.
- Coke Lane Pizza Neapolitan-style pizza operation serving from 4pm daily, offering Margherita, Pepperoni, Luciano, Ryan's, Locard, Portobello, Frankie, Ponte, Magnum Pi, gluten-free options, sides (garlic bread, olives, toasted nuts), desserts, and tiered group deals for 10–30 guests.
- The Good Room (event space) A semi-private event space with arched windows overlooking South Circular Road. Suits bookings of 10–25 people and functions as a cafe by day and event space by evening.
- The Back Room (event space) A semi-private event space equipped with a Void soundsystem, hi-def projector and screen, and custom lighting. Marketed for birthdays, bingo, book launches, and private events.
- Back Yard / Rialto Riviera (outdoor space) An outdoor back yard seating area known as the Rialto Riviera, with capacity for approximately 25 people and available for reservations.
- The Circular Pub Quiz A weekly Wednesday pub quiz at 8pm, €7.50 per person with a minimum of two per table. First prize is a €100 gift voucher for The Circular; quiz is hosted by Quiz Host Ireland and has a waitlist when sold out.
- Rialto Market A monthly market held on the last Saturday of each month (10:30–17:00) featuring local stalls with art, vintage fashion, baked goods, flowers, plants, and homewares, alongside the venue's full bar, cafe, and DJ programming.
- Table Reservations (across venue spaces) An online reservation service allowing customers to book tables in the Main Bar, Good Room, Back Room, and Back Yard spaces for groups of various sizes.
- Coke Lane Pizza Group Catering Group catering package from Coke Lane Pizza offering tiered group specials (€17–€19 per person for 10–30 guests including one main plus sharing sides) and €55 sharing boards serving 10, requiring 50% advance deposit and subject to a 12.5% service charge.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250 consecutive weekly pub quiz events
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Circular
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Circular technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Circular partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lucky'scoreLucky's is part of the same bar group as The Circular. The Circular is described as 'part of a small but growing bar group that includes Lucky's & Leonard's Corner.' This suggests shared ownership or management across venues.
- Leonard's CornercoreLeonard's Corner is part of the same bar group as The Circular. The Circular is described as 'part of a small but growing bar group that includes Lucky's & Leonard's Corner.' This suggests shared ownership or management across venues.
- Quiz Host IrelandminorThe pub quiz is hosted by Quiz Host Ireland. Contact email for quiz questions/additional seats is [email protected]. Group discounts also handled through Quiz Host Ireland.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Circular competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Brazen Head: Ireland's oldest pub, a Dublin institution. Comparable as an established Dublin neighborhood pub with food, drink, and event programming, though at significantly larger scale and longer history.
- The Porterhouse Brewing Company: Dublin craft beer bar group with multiple locations, comparable in focus on craft beer taps and casual food. Strong peer for understanding multi-venue Dublin craft pub economics.
- Whelan's: Dublin neighborhood pub with live music, event programming, and food service. Comparable as a community-focused Dublin venue balancing bar, food, and regular events in a single location.
- Leonard's Corner: Third venue in the same Dublin bar group as The Circular and Lucky's. Comparable neighborhood Dublin pub concept serving the local community with food and drinks. Most directly comparable peer.
- L. Mulligan Grocer: Long-established Dublin gastropub known for craft beer selection and elevated pub food. Comparable multi-daypart offering (food + craft beer + community events) in a similar Dublin neighborhood setting.
- Lucky's: Sister venue in the same Dublin bar group as The Circular. Operates as a neighborhood Dublin pub with similar multi-concept approach (Coke Lane Pizza is associated with Lucky's per the allergen menu). Direct comparison for group-level performance.
- Hugo's Restaurant & Wine Bar: Dublin neighborhood venue blending daytime cafe/restaurant service with evening drinks. Comparable multi-daypart model and similar event/private booking approach in a Dublin 8-adjacent setting.
Broad incumbents
- JD Wetherspoon: Large UK/Ireland pub chain with multiple Dublin locations. Useful broad incumbent benchmark for neighborhood pub economics, though operates at much larger scale and standardized format vs. The Circular's independent character.
- BrewDog Dublin Outpost: International craft beer chain with Dublin locations. Comparable craft beer positioning and tap-led bar experience, though at larger scale and with broader menu; useful benchmark for craft beer bar economics.
Regional players
- Wing & Nut Coffee (and similar Dublin specialty cafes): Independent Dublin specialty coffee operators in the same city as The Day Cafe. Comparable for daytime cafe economics, coffee program quality, and neighborhood loyalty dynamics relevant to The Day Cafe sub-brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Circular social profiles
Digital presenceThe Circular financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Circular leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Circular subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
The Circular funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Circular M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Circular
What does The Circular do?
The Circular is a multi-use neighbourhood bar and venue on South Circular Road in Dublin 8 that operates as a single hospitality destination combining a main bar, a craft beer sidebar (The Other Hand), a daytime cafe (The Day Cafe), and an evening Neapolitan-style pizza kitchen (Coke Lane Pizza). It also rents semi-private event spaces (The Good Room, The Back Room, Back Yard) and hosts recurring community programming including a weekly Wednesday pub quiz and monthly Rialto Market.
Is The Circular a public or private company?
The Circular is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Circular founded?
The Circular was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Circular based?
The Circular is headquartered in Dublin 8, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does The Circular make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Food & Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are pub Quiz Events, table Reservations & Group Bookings and group Catering.
Who are The Circular's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Brazen Head, The Porterhouse Brewing Company, Whelan's, Leonard's Corner, L. Mulligan Grocer, Lucky's and Hugo's Restaurant & Wine Bar. Broad incumbents are JD Wetherspoon and BrewDog Dublin Outpost. Wing & Nut Coffee (and similar Dublin specialty cafes) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Circular have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Circular.
What industry is The Circular in?
The Circular's product category is Neighborhood Bar & Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANACAA, Neighborhood Bars & Taverns, with a secondary code of THAFAEAA, Neighborhood & Sports Bars. Its NAICS code is 722410 and its SIC code is 5810.