A move, an expansion and a lockdown are just some of the changes Noel Kennedy has witnessed since opening Oscars Restaurant in 1995. Celebrating 30 years in business this week, Oscars is still the place to be with young and old thanks to the consistently high quality of the food and service on offer.
Every Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm, the finest meat, poultry, fish, pizzas, pastas and an array of sumptuous side orders are served, complimented by delicious desserts. On Sunday from 1pm to 3pm, a selection of roasts, chicken and pasta make up the foodie’s fare.
With the best of wines, spirits, draught and bottle beers, every visit is one to remember.
Proprietor Noel spoke to Topic about his time at Oscars, reflecting on the restaurant’s humble beginnings, on the highs and the lows, and said the secret to still going strong three decades on is great staff, great customers and consistently great food.
Humble beginnings
On 21 April, 1995, REM headlined The Slane Festival, the first episode of the popular Irish sitcom “Father Ted” premiered on Channel 4 and Oscars Restaurant opened its doors in Mullingar for the first time.
“We saw the opportunity for a restaurant because there was nothing in Mullingar really apart from hotels,” Noel recalled. “Then we tried to make sure we were going to be busy, so we set out to create a menu that would appeal to young and old, and took it from there. We had an open plan kitchen, so it was a bit different from what was already around and people could see what was cooking. There was a really good atmosphere in there even though there were just 32 seats and we just had the ground level.”
For the first five years, Oscars traded on Oliver Plunkett Street in the building where Ilia resides now but when their lease was up, they set about finding a new home. 21 Oliver Plunkett Street came up for sale – right across the road- and they jumped at it.
“It took a few months to renovate the premises but in March 2000, we opened, doubled in size, dropped lunch and introduced our takeaway menu,” Noel said.
Top Takeaway
From the inception of their takeaway offering, Noel set out to deliver restaurant-quality food to the customer’s home to. the same high standard as if they were dining in the restaurant. In 2019, the restaurant expanded and Outback at Oscars was added. Dealing with takeaway orders, allowing customers to call in their orders and to collect them from the Blackhall Place entrance, little did Noel know how much this decision would impact future business as Covid hit just one year later.
“We were steeped in luck, blessed to have Outback already there, it kept us going throughout the lockdown. The customers were brilliant and so were the staff. Some who had left us and moved on with their lives came in to help us get back up and running after Covid.”
Genuine Friendships
This goodwill from staff, past and present, illustrates the high regard Oscars is held in.
“It’s like a family here more than anything, it has that kind of atmosphere,” Noel explained.
“It was extremely challenging getting back up and running after Covid. Six or seven of the old staff came back to help us even though they are all doing different things now, teachers and other jobs. One of the girls that worked here got married last year over in Marbella and three of her bridesmaids had worked here with her. There were 13 of us associated with Oscars in a photograph, all still great friends and all helped each other out. They wouldn’t let you or each other down. We actually all just met on Sunday night for a drink, there are great friendships from working together. They are all great people, the best.”
Noel was keen to select two staff members out for special praise, Therese McCormack and chef Maria Fox, two of Oscar’s longest serving staff members, who he described as hardworking, great people.
Changes
The customers coming through the famous navy blue doors may have changed over time; some have passed away, some have discovered Oscars more recently and some who originally came clutching their parents’ hands now take their own children along. Technology has changed beyond recognition as in 1995, only 5% of the Irish population had a mobile phone and the Golden Pages was the original Google. Fast forward to 2025 and practically every adult owns at least one mobile phone, on which they can browse the menu, order their meal, pay for it and arrange collection – if that’s their preference.
Noel and his team have kept abreast of all these changes, moving with the times ensuring Oscars stays accessible and tops the results for really tasty food.
“There’s lots of new social media marketing tools that drive young people to us and they really like to use them. So much has changed over the years but we aimed to create a menu big enough to appeal to young and old and that’s still what we’re trying to do. We hope to introduce some Indian dishes soon, we’ll keep pushing forward. We strive really hard for consistency. Your dish should taste the same all the time, it should be consistent. I was taught years ago, consistency is the key to success. It is where we would like to be all of the time.”
Tough Trade
Life has not all been plain sailing for the crew at Oscars and Noel believes the current climate for small businesses will see more doors close unless something is done to help them.
“It’s tougher than ever. Everything is harder: wages are higher, sick pay has increased, pension payments introduced, food electricity – everything has gone up but if we put our prices up nobody will come in so we’re juggling all the time. It’s very challenging being a small business and that’s why a lot of places are closing. The government talked about reducing VAT, but that’s not coming into place until January 2026. It will be little, too late for many people. In the meantime there are no supports.”
Highlights
Always looking forward , Noel is focusing on what Oscars do best: great staff serving consistently great food to great customers. Of his time at front of house, Noel said reaching 30 years in business was a particular highpoint. Meeting some of his idols was also up there for him.
“Liam Clancy was probably the one that stands out,” he said. “He came in one Saturday afternoon when we were closed hoping to get some food and spent about an hour and a half chatting to me here. Christy Hennessy came in too. The biggest regret I have is not getting pictures with them. Recently Johnny Logan was in and Conal Gallen is a regular, he comes in whenever he’s passing, even when he’s not performing in the Mullingar Arts Center.”
Grateful
After 30 years, it is clear that Noel’s passion hasn’t waned a single bit from the first day he opened Oscars as a different offering for the town. Since then, the family restaurant has become embedded in the memories of the generations who still travel from far and wide for the unique Oscars offering.
“I love it. I love the buzz of the whole business, and I feel a responsibility for the people I employ too,” Noel said. “We have such the best staff and the most loyal customers and we are so grateful for their constant support.”
Customers with allergies or special requests are welcome at Oscars where they will do their best to accommodate their needs with an equally high-standard dish.
For more, call 044-9344909, visit oscarsrestaurant.ie or find them on Facebook, Instagram at Oscars Restaurant Mullingar/ oscars_restaurant.
