Mao (restaurant chain)

Last updated

Mao
Company type Private
Industry Restaurant
Genrerestaurant and takeaway chain
Founded1992
FounderGraham Campbell
Defunct2024
Headquarters,
Number of locations
9
Area served
Dublin
OwnerColum and Ciarán Butler
Website mymao.ie

Mao (stylized MAO or Mao At Home) was an Irish-headquartered restaurant chain, serving Asian cuisine: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Singaporean, Sichuan and Mongolian dishes are all offered. [1]

Contents

History

Interior of MAO Dun Laoghaire, 2004. MAO The Restaurant (179320333) (7).jpg
Interior of MAO Dún Laoghaire, 2004.

The first Mao restaurant opened on Chatham Row, Dublin in 1997. The name attracted some criticism, given Mao Zedong's role in the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, Great Chinese Famine and Sinicization of Tibet; during his time as leader of China, he was allegedly responsible for millions of deaths. [2] [3] This first restaurant was decorated with Andy Warhol's famous silkscreen print of Mao. [4] In 2010 the chain went into receivership and was sold to Colm and Ciarán Butler. [5] [6] In 2024 the last remaining Mao restaurant closed after the lease expired with no buyer interested in the chain.

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References

  1. "Home". Mao. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  2. "A name that's hard to swallow". 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019.
  3. "A name that's hard to swallow". 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 May 2019.
  4. LOUISE EAST (10 January 1998). "Doing the rice thing". The Irish Times.
  5. Suzanne Lynch (14 August 2010). "Sale of Mao restaurant chain almost complete". The Irish Times.
  6. "Restaurant chain Cafe Mao forced into receivership". Herald.ie. 2 July 2010.