Cluck Chicken opts out of Square and focuses on Walkinstown unit

Cluck Chicken in The Square in Tallaght closed its doors on Sunday after nearly three years as they opted to surrender their lease and focus on operations in Walkinstown.

The award-winning fast-food restaurant was opened in the shopping centre in September 2023, three years after a food truck first cropped up in Walkinstown – now at a unit on Walkinstown Road.

The store was run by husband and wife Ian and Elaine Ussher, along with business partner Paul Hayden.

Ian grew up in the local area and noted that this had inspired him to continue to try and make it work for the location, before the restaurant was given the opportunity to surrender the lease and close its doors after “sleepless nights and difficult conversations.”

Ian stated: “After nearly five years in The Square Tallaght, we were given the opportunity to surrender our lease. After many sleepless nights and difficult conversations, we made the decision to take it.

“The truth is, this decision probably should have been made a long time ago. Tallaght is home. It’s where I grew up, and I wanted so badly to make it work.”

The owner noted that business decisions had to be put before emotional ones, after months and months of trying new ideas.

The trio thanked their team for their work over the years and also the customers for their support.

They noted that they’ll “never take that support for granted” and invited customers of The Square location to pay a visit to their Walkinstown site.

“If you’ve ever supported Cluck, we’d genuinely love to see you. Every order, every visit, and every recommendation means more than ever right now.

“Business isn’t always about celebrating the wins. Sometimes it’s about accepting the losses, learning from them, and making sure you’re still standing to fight another day.”