‘The locals keep this business going...’

AT the core of every business is the relationship it forges with the community it serves. This two-way interaction is very much what makes a business flourish allowing it to establish itself and create a faithful connection.

Fogarty’s Centra is a story about each generation building upon the success of its predecessor. Patrick Fogarty believes the store would not be where it is today but for the locality that surrounds it. The tourist season is vital to businesses in south Kerry, but even more vital is the loyalty of locals who support the shop for the rest of the year.

It’s important in a tourist orientated setting to have businesses that stay open for 12-months of the year. This not only creates employment, but also adds life to the village that would otherwise not be there.

“The locals are what keeps this business going. Yes, the summer season is important but the truth of the matter is knowing that if we didn’t have the locals coming in all year round, we wouldn’t be open for the summer season,” Patrick said.

“We’re very lucky in Waterville for the local support that we have. Without them we wouldn’t have grown. Even during the depths of the recession the loyalty of the locals was very important. Many of our older customers enjoy seeing the changes and how the shop has changed over the years. This is important to us.”

Our spacious new layout makes trolley shopping a comfortable experience.

There is always a staff member at hand to help customers.