All about Bobby

Bobby Kerr is a man inclined to action. In the past two to three years, he spearheaded the sale of the Kerr family business – Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny – for €23 million. He also sold 51% of his Insomnia group to Penninn, valuing the business at €16 million. All in addition to his escapades as a Dragon.

Bobby began his career by helping his father run the four star Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. At 16 he was introduced to the hotel kitchen where he sweated his way through two summers, learning some of the favourite game dishes that he still cooks today.

Bobby landed his very first job at AIB Catering in Ballsbridge. He was soon travelling the globe, working as a chef on Oil Rigs in the North Sea and then to Canada where he gained vast experience in stadium catering. He went on to co-ordinate catering for 1 million people at the Pope’s visit to Canada in 1985, a miraculous feat by any standard!

He returned to Ireland in the mid-80s where he worked initially at Jury’s Hotels, followed by Campbell Catering in Cork and then Bewley’s. As Managing Director of Bewley’s Oriental Cafe, Bewley’s Franchising and Bewley’s Bakery he oversaw 30 Bewley’s Cafes and a bakery with a turnover of €40 million. He was also responsible for the overseas development of the Bewley’s Brand in the UK, USA and Japan. In 1999 Bobby set up PERK Coffee Shops in Dublin, before selling the brand to Insomnia. Bobby reinvested all the proceeds of the PERK sale back into Insomnia and became a shareholder and CEO. Since 2004 he has led the expansion of Insomnia from 17 to 50 shops and increased turnover from €5 to €13 million. If there’s one beverage that fuels society, its coffee and nobody knows the industry better than Bobby Kerr.


Bobby doesn’t rile entrepreneurs too much and when he does bow out, he does so with humour and cool. Bobby says he thinks he has a “good sixth sense in terms of being able to tune into people and get the best out of them”.