‘Just Ciao for now,’ they said

17:36, 22 May 2026Updated 17:48, 22 May 2026

Saucy Cow, Marina Market

A popular Marina Market stall has closed after years as one of the most loved food spot for veggies in Cork.

The Saucy Cow, known and loved for its menu of vegan fast food favourites from cheesy burgers to loaded fries and spicy hashbrowns, is gone after struggling with rising costs.

The eye-catching orange stall has closed after almost three years at the Marina Market. Management said they tried to keep going during a very difficult time for the food industry. In a heartfelt post to customers, they said: “We are super sorry about our quick exit!”

They explained that they “really tried to make it work,” but the last year has been especially challenging, and in the end, the stall was running at a loss, forcing the difficult decision to shut.

The Saucy Cow in the Marina Market was renowned for some of the best vegan food in Cork(Image: Saucy Cow)

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They said: “the last 12 months have been very difficult with the cost of doing business going up, and we just didn’t feel comfortable putting our prices up to match, as we were aware they were high anyway,” and added that they only stayed open to ensure staff could secure other employment, either at the Saucy Cow’s Dublin location or at other businesses.

The Irish fast food brand, which prides itself on being ‘Big, Dirty and Vegan’, was founded in Dublin by Roisin Lawlor back in 2019 and expanded to Cork in 2023 – much to the delight of plant-based food fans.

The Cork stall was staffed by a small, “fantastic” team, and some have had the opportunity to be transferred to Dublin. The stall closed quietly in recent weeks.

“We were aware if we announced we were leaving we would be super busy for our final week,” they said, “which would of been good for us financially but we would of been running on a small team and didn’t want to overwhelm them or compromise your saucy experience – I hope you can forgive us.”

They added that they hope it’s not goodbye forever. They said: “we want to thank all our loyal customers for coming in over the years – we hope it’s not bye forever, just Ciao for now. And of course a big thanks to marina market for housing us.”