T his has been a year of queuing for Dublin’s foodies, with the city seeing everything from a gruelling 20-hour-plus stand off for a lifetime of free chicken at Popeyes in Blanchardstown or the near constant snake of humans waiting for a slice of Bambino pizza on Stephen Street Lower.
With queues for food now such a regular occurrence – whether it be down to promotional deals or TikTok virality – we hit the streets earlier this week to ask some of the many, many people waiting in the city centre what had prompted them to take their place in the line.
Standing in a long queue for free matcha outside Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer Street, Trinity College Dublin student Faye O’Hare says rising costs play a part in encouraging queues.
“I think anyone is willing to spend any amount of time to not spend an extortionate amount on a coffee,” she says. “So I think for things like this, people are willing to take time out of their day to not spend €7.”
But what about our notoriously unpredictable weather? O’Hare does not expect Dublin’s newly developed queue culture to wind down as we head into the winter months.
“We are kind of used to bad weather all year round so we are well equipped to queuing outside no matter what it is,” she says.
Virality also certainly plays a part, although its importance varies from customer to customer. Accompanying O’Hare outside Fallon & Byrne is fellow Trinity student Amelia Cree, who says, “There’s also not much going on so this is a fun novelty.”
On Stephen Street, Becca Wyatt is on shore leave from a cruise ship docked in Dún Laoghaire harbour, and is using her precious few hours on land to queue for a slice of Bambino pizza.
“We were looking at the best viral food spots [in Dublin] and Bambino was one of them,” she says.
And does internet virality attract Wyatt as a customer?
“No actually, I don’t like queuing but this place seems worth it,” she says. “I live in London so there are a lot of viral food spots. I think some people would give up when they see any queue but I think it shows you that it’s popular, it’s good.”
Sisters Niamh and Ciara Howard from Newbridge in Co Kildare are in Dublin for “a shopping day”, and have also been queuing outside Bambino.
“I just really like the pizza here,” says Niamh, who is introducing her sister to the popular spot.
“We were only queuing for 10 minutes today,” she adds, saying it can sometimes be longer.
Niamh believes that the queuing fad for must-try bites is not about to wane.
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Her sister, Ciara, agrees. “I think people just want to try the trendy places.”
Or could it be that many of us actually enjoy the collective activity involved in queuing? Eva Disley is queuing with her friend Aoife Campbell outside Joe & The Juice on Dawson Street, a relatively new draw on the queuing circuit since opening in June.
“It’s a social thing,” says Disley without hesitation, as she inches forward in the line.