Times

How I Made It: Charlotte Devlin, joint founder of Munchies
IF YOU are in New York and see a couple of Irish women sweep into a coffee shop and snap some photos before being ushered out by the management, don’t be alarmed. It’s just Elaine O’Hora and Charlotte Devlin doing some market research.

At least once a year, the two owners of the Munchies sandwich shops in Dublin pack their walking shoes and head to America to keep track of what similar outlets there are doing. It has helped one of the industry’s pioneers to stay one step ahead of the increasing level of competition.

“We take the camera out and try to get a few pictures before we are hooshed out of the shops,” said Devlin. The pair’s research also encompasses a visit to London on a more frequent basis, which adds to the fun of running their own company.

After almost 16 years as business partners, O’Hora and Devlin have three sandwich shops staffed by 24 full-time and 12 part-time staff. Turnover has reached €2m.

O’Hora started Munchies in 1988 going door to door selling sandwiches from a basket. Devlin joined her two years later. “The sandwiches were made at a central kitchen and then sold from baskets around the city,” said Devlin. O’Hora is a former Miss Ireland beauty queen, while Devlin has a background in hotel and catering.

When Devlin joined O’Hora, they took a lease on a shop on Baggot Street. It was one of the first such sandwich shops in the capital and proved popular with office workers and shoppers. “The queue used to go down the road and around the corner,” Devlin said.

The next step for Munchies is to franchise the brand, and the two women have set themselves the task of getting 50 franchisees within five years. Devlin said the key to success will be getting good locations as they have done in the past.

O’Hora and Devlin also have their eyes on overseas markets, particularly the Far East. “Elaine is looking at China. We have a lot of Chinese staff working with us who would like to go home, but continue with the business there,” she said.

Devlin is proud of the fact that the business has paid its own way from the outset. “We have been profitable from the start,” said Devlin, 41.

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