Daly’s Bar is bringing a slice of Italy to Mullingar following the launch of its new pizzeria and soon-to-be café, FYA, which opened its doors last Friday, 7 April.
The new casual dining spot, which can be found on Martin’s Lane adjacent to the bar, is as authentic as pizza can possibly be in Ireland.
Authenticity was very important to the establishment’s owner, John Bagnall, who said he hopes to bring something new to Mullingar town.
While they source some specialised products from Italy, FYA is all about locally sourced ingredients according to its Head Chef Ian Harte.
“We don’t buy any prepacked stuff and have really gone back to the basics of how all the ingredients are typically made, and we do it ourselves,” said Ian.
“We get fresh meat from James Maguire’s Family Butchers and the rest of our fresh produce from Fox’s Fruit and Veg.
“It’s top-quality produce, there’s no reason to go looking elsewhere and it’s important to support local.”
The vibrant building has an open kitchen where customers can see their food being prepared and the elegantly styled dining area covers two storeys which can seat up to 50 people.
Seating can also extend into the neighbouring beer garden of Daly’s Bar, perfect for a summer day, where you can order craft beers on tap to wash the food down or order from the diverse cocktail and wine menu.
While pizza is the name of the game for FYA, they will also be launching a café on site once the second phase of the project is completed.
Some of the works could only begin once the wood fired pizza oven had been delivered, according to owner John, which resulted in a long process. “We couldn’t put the front door, wall, or windows in until the oven was delivered as it was so huge. There was just this massive hole in the wall,” he said.
“It came all the way from Italy, so it took a while and once it was in, we built the wall back around it. The oven can’t come out, it’s stuck there for good now!
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“It’s the best that’s out there and took three months to arrive but thankfully we’re now good to go.”
John said that he’s very aware of the difficulties facing the hospitality industry where prices are skyrocketing but still believes in providing affordable food. “You have to think outside of the box, have a good product and not be too expensive or else customers are not going to turn up.
“Value is hugely important to people, now more than ever, and we really believe we have found that middle ground wherein we’re not too expensive but also providing high-quality food,” he said.
John added that consumers have also changed and that is acknowledged in their menu which contains vegetarian and vegan options to choose from.
FYA is open five days per week, serving from 5pm to 9pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 2pm to 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
