Innovation Navigation offers live, unscripted access to world-renowned thought leaders, executives, and faculty. It is broadcast weekly from The Wharton Ivy League School.
Darren Fagan of the Irish Pub Company & Donal Ballance of Ballance Hospitality, two Irish Pub industry experts spoke to ‘Innovation Navigation’ recently about the Irish Pub Concept.
Listen Here
This insightful interview, from two leading Irish Pub experts examines all aspects of the Irish Pub Concept, from its creation over 25 years ago when approximately 90% of Guinness draught beer was consumed in Ireland or the UK to nowadays how potential and existing operators need the get the mix right in order to create a viable Authentic Irish Pub business.
“The Irish Pub is about real business. We get you off to the right start and our role is to ensure you are on the right track; we keep you on the right road, keep you profitable and ensure the numbers you’re achieving are going to make you money – we prevent you from making common mistakes.”
Darren and Donal bring their expertise to both existing pubs and new builds; while both are experts in the Irish Pub industry, each of them brings their own speciality areas to Irish Pub investors, operators and owners.
Darren Fagan and Donal Ballance speak to Innovation Navigation at The Wharton School’s Ivy League Campus on the Irish Pub Concept
For more information about our services contact info@irishpubcompany.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
About the Contributors
Darren Fagan, Irish Pub Company
Darren is the Client Contracts Manager in the Irish Pub Company Atlanta office since 1997. In addition to Contract management, Darren oversees and manages the North American operation. From 1994 to 1997 he worked as Senior Project Manager at Irish headquarters, acting as the company’s Senior International project coordinator and manager.
Darren sets standards and guidelines for USA project teams and coordinates contractors and suppliers. He provides proprietary logistics management oversight on all projects. He liaises with and co-ordinates with our clients and the work of architects, engineers, fire test labs, onsite project teams and local authority and Health and Safety agencies, adherence to all Building Codes, Fire Codes, and Disability requirements as well as Environmental and Zoning laws in the USA.
Donal Ballance, Ballance Hospitality
Donal Ballance has been involved in the development of Irish Pubs throughout Europe and North America since the early 1990’s. He is a career restaurant operations specialist with a background that includes senior management roles with PepsiCo Foodservice, Compass Group, Guinness and Diageo. He became involved in the development of Irish Pubs through his management of Guinness retail and pub operations in Ireland and the UK and was part of the team responsible for taking the concept to a global platform.
In 1999, Donal moved to North America and formed an independent consulting practice, Ballance Hospitality which provides a range of operational and strategic services to Irish Pub operators throughout the United States and Canada. Having also owned and managed pubs on both sides of the Atlantic, Donal is keenly aware, as an operator and an industry specialist, of the challenges facing pub entrepreneurs in tough economic times
Innovation Navigation
Innovation Navigation features easily accessible information on a wide range of business topics, delivered directly by the world’s top business experts and leading minds in business education.
The programme is hosted by Dave Robertson who relies on his extensive background in Innovation and Product Development to cover the latest advancements and leading change makers in the business world. Dave and his team were very interested in the innovative business model of the Irish Pub Concept and to learn more about how it became such a successful brand throughout the world.
Alongside Darren and Donal, recent guests on the program includes Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Cirque Du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre, Former CTO of Walt Disney Studios Greg Brandeau, President of Equinox and Former President of Gatorade Sarah Robb O’Hagan, and Chief Innovation Officer for Whirlpool Corporation Nancy Tennant.