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Romayo's Launch Double Decker Drive-In Fast Food Bus In Wicklow

Romayo's Launch Double Decker Drive-In Fast Food Bus In Wicklow

The bus is parked up off junction eight of the N11 near Pluck’s in Kilmacanogue, near the start of many stunning mountain walks.

Gary Grimes

Gary Grimes

The pandemic has forced a lot of businesses to be inventive in order to stay afloat. Concepts like click and collect, that once felt passé in the age of Amazon Prime, now feel essential to our survival. Destination restaurants that were known for offering the sort of fine dining experience after which you wouldn't dare ask for a doggy bag are now boxing up their ingredients and delivering them all over the country.

Romayo's Roadster is the pinnacle of this sort of quick-thinking resilience. The popular chipper chain, previously known under the family name Macari's before rebranding in 2012, was due to open a new diner-style restaurant Kilmacanogue in 2020 until COVID-19 guidelines repeatedly put the brakes on construction work.

Rather than be defeated by the circumstances, the Macari's instead decided to shift their investment towards a €200,000 refurbishment of a double decker bus, transforming the vehicle into a fully-fledged American-style 'drive in' fast food joint in just 12 weeks.

The interior of the bus is fitted with a 21-appliance kitchen including a pizza oven, grill for burgers and kebabs, a full frying range, chicken machine, refrigeration units and sinks. The exterior has been pimped out too, gleaming with the classic Romayo's red and white branding and the words 'Drive In' emblazoned above the counter's window.

For now, the bus is permanently parked up off junction eight of the N11 near Pluck's in Kilmacanogue, conveniently located near the beginning of a number of stunning mountain and hill walks meaning customers can explore the wonders of Powerscourt and the Wicklow Mountains and then relax with a bite to eat on their way home.

"Covid helped us to make that decision as people eating inside was a no-no under Level 5 restrictions, but the site is fully Covid-compliant and we will have outdoor seating once guidelines allow," Dario Macari explained to Independent.ie.

"The good thing for us is that it's one of the last food outlets as you come into Dublin from the south."

And don't worry - if you're neither the mountain walking nor the driving type, the bus is also doing deliveries of all the classic Romayo's dishes including fresh fish and chips, burgers, kebabs and pizzas.

Macari also mentioned that if the Roadster proves successful then there's a chance they may eventually proceed with building the bricks and mortar shop they originally planned and take the Roadster on the road to festivals and gigs around Ireland, meaning you could spot the big red and white van at a concert near you down the line.

Until then, Romayo's Roadster opens from 12 noon to 10pm Monday to Sunday so you're free to fill up your tank and hit the road for a feast as soon as you're finished reading this!

Featured Image Credit: Conor McCabe/PA Wire

Topics: Ireland, Food