Founded in 1985, Swans on the Green is expanding to keep pace with Naas’s growing cafe culture and changing customer demand.

By Iqra Siddiqui 

Three weeks ago, Swans on the Green opened its expanded seating area, adding approximately 100 sq/m to accommodate a growing number of customers.

The cafe is located at Kilcullen Rd, Naas East, Naas, Co. Kildare. The recent expansion has added a new rear section to the cafe, increasing seating capacity. The layout of the extended area has been adjusted to support smoother movement within the space, making it easier for both staff and visitors during busy periods.

The extension reflects the cafe’s response to growing demand and to improve the overall customer experience.

“It is an important place for people. As a family business, we’ve seen customers return over the years as they have watched us grow and change,” the owner, Larry Swan, said.

“The space is kept simple, with a concrete floor and basic furniture. Seating is a key to a cafe like this,” he said.

“The new space, he says, increased footfall and brought in a wider range of customers. It attracts more people to the cafe.”

Before the extension, Swans on the Green had a more compact seating arrangement, but a hub of conversation, community, and new expansion continues to provide a welcoming environment with increased capacity.

“People of all ages gather here to socialise,” Swan said. With the new space, people can continue to socialise and now have more room to enjoy.

Over the years, Swans on the Green have embraced growth and change. “We were originally a grocery store with the emphasis on fruit and veggies,” the owner recalled.

While talking to TheCity.ie, Larry Swan reflected how the cafe has adapted over time. “That has all changed over the last 15 years. Like any business, we evolve to meet new demands,” he said.

“People’s requirements are very different now, especially with younger customers interested in coffee culture.”

“We started with a small seating area, maybe 10 seats,” he said.

Swans on the Green kept up with the evolving trends and the pressures of the pandemic in 2019. The owner told TheCity.ie, “The cafe introduced new offerings, including baked goods, ice cream, cakes, and other products.”

This shift allowed the business to diversify its products despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.

“This space was reconfigured during the pandemic to meet changing customer needs and introduced new products to the shelves,” Larry Swan Said. 

However, businesses continue to face challenges within rising trends and changing customer behaviour, even if they meet growing demand.  The cafe has recently extended its seating area, but competition from big giants has put pressure on it. 

“Our business was being eroded because of the advent of the big multiples-Aldi, Lidl, and Tesco,” he said. 

Larry Swan explained the financial pressures of competing with large retailers: 

“It was putting our core business in challenging positions. How can I sell the same product that Aldi or Lidl sells for 49 cents? For me to buy it would cost €1.” 

“We had to adapt and come up with a different business model.” 

“The only way to do this was to get into the food area, to specialise in sit-down and takeaway food in a nice environment.” 

“When we got into the business of food and coffee, there was an increasing demand. We offer a good product, a good price, and a nice environment with good staff. That’s the way we went; that’s the way it evolved.”

“The trend is moving towards food-to-go and food to sit in and eat on the premises. We adapted and created more seating within the cafe,” Larry Swan said.

“We keep adapting our model to grow. As the business grows, the staff level has also increased, allowing us to create more jobs.

Looking ahead, Swans on the Green continues to evolve, with the latest addition of more seating marking its adaptation to customer demand and market trends.