¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ

In the latest instalment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we speak to brothers Eugene and Ronan Greaney, co-owners of The Dough Bros in Galway, who are now employing almost 70 people across five businesses.

The brothers, who are both graduates of the Bachelor of Business Studies ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, have successfully put Irish pizza on the map with their Irish take on Neapolitan inspired pizza. Their hard work and dedication to creating great pizza have been duly rewarded with  being crowned the best pizza in Ireland and number 15 in the world.

Eugene and Ronan tell us why they chose to study ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, how what they learnt in UL’s Kemmy Business School laid the foundations for a successful career, and why curiosity is key to their business.  

Tell us a bit about yourselves.

Ronan: I was born in Galway and this where we have our businesses. Oftentimes, I wish we had set up the business in a warmer climate! In the midst of running five food businesses, which involve multiple forms of pizza and chips, I try to keep fit. 

I have always been food obsessed since I was a kid. I love to cook and I love to eat. I’m still (trying!) to play football with our local boyhood club, Salthill Devon FC. I have a few more years left in me yet! I recently boarded the HYROX bandwagon and I’m also an average golfer. 

Eugene: I just turned 40 last week and I’ve lived in Galway my whole life. Our parents and grandparents were from Swinford in Co. Mayo where our dad’s business was. He owned a bar/restaurant, and our grandad owned a supermarket next door. All school holidays were spent in Swinford with family and working in the family business. At home our mam worked in The Galleon restaurant in Salthill for 30 years. So, we grew up in hospitality. 

I played soccer and Gaelic growing up and still play soccer with Ronan with our local soccer team, Salthill Devon FC. I’m an Oasis and Man United nut, for my sins. 

Why did you both choose to study Business Studies and Marketing ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ? 

Eugene: From an early age, I knew I always wanted to have my own business, so business or commerce was the only course I wanted. Seeing my dad, grandad and uncle in business early on made my mind up for me. 

I chose UL because I wanted to experience college life at its fullest, away from home and the comfort of my own friends. My older brother Darren was in UL, so I visited once and just knew it was the place for me. Also, the added experience of co-op made it a no brainer for me.

Ronan: Business and entrepreneurship are very much in our blood so from early on I knew I wanted to own my own business, particularly in food. 

My granddad was a real trail blazer – he had many different businesses in Swinford in Co. Mayo in his lifetime. Back in the 70s he set up one of only three independent supermarkets in the west of Ireland (and fun fact: was the first to introduce self-service ‘trolley’ shopping in the west). 

Our dad had a great pub/restaurant in Mayo until 2003, and mam managed a very busy restaurant in Salthill. Eugene and I both worked in the family businesses when we were growing up so hospitality and business are very much in our genes. 

Our eldest brother Darren was the first to go to UL. Eugene had also done the course a few years ahead of me and had great things to say about UL so for me, UL was the only option I wanted. 

What did you enjoy most about your course? 

Ronan: Personally, I loved the more practical aspects of the course. For our entrepreneurship module we worked for a local company in Limerick city and used to meet in their offices weekly working through different tasks. 

A standout for me was my co-op - I loved it! I worked for a company in Newcastle in the UK and soaked up the whole experience. I worked hard and met the greatest of people. I was given loads of responsibility and learned a lot. I grew a lot from that experience, both professionally and personally. 

Eugene: It’s 21 years ago that I started in UL, but I remember it all so well and there are lots of things that I learnt during my time ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ that that helped me throughout my career.

The lecturers were good, and the classes were interactive. The continuous assessment from second year on was a good way to keep us somewhat disciplined.

The nine months hands on co-op working for Datapac in Dublin was hugely beneficial and something that has stood to me. It was a sales role with lots of cold calling, which I didn't love, but I learned a lot in that time. Simple things like how the company structure works, standard of dress, punctuality, deadlines, and it might sound daft, but even basics like how to draft and communicate via email – all that gives you a head start when you finish college, for sure.

Doing my final year project on a business plan, Doorstep DVDs (Netflix need not worry!), gave me practical experience when drafting our business plan for The Dough Bros. The business plan really helped as we got finance straight away in a difficult time. Thankfully The Dough Bros one was a better idea than Doorstep DVDs!

I also remember classes in service marketing that stuck with me. I think the name of the authors were something like Bitner and Zeithaml who had developed a service blueprint, and we did a project on it. It stuck with me and it’s probably no coincidence that our customer journey is so well mapped out and key to the experience.

What are some of your favourite memories of studying ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ?

Ronan: The Stables! What a place to unwind after a hard day in the library eh?! In all seriousness, I made amazing friends for life in UL. Some live all over the world now, but we are all still close and keep in touch. 

The campus itself is excellent. I played soccer from first year to final year and the facilities for sport in general are second to none.

I loved playing soccer for UL. In first year, it's where I met a lot of my closest friends in college. Joining the team was the perfect way to settle in and meet a good bunch of lads. From Harding Cup final loss in Galway in 2010 to Crowley Cup craic in 2011 and Collingwood Cup loss in Jordanstown – top memories with great people.

Eugene: Oh, I would get to the library alright and set time aside in my room, but my ADHD had always made other plans. So, my experience with study was non-traditional and would involve exhaustive all-night binges prior to exams. But one way or another I would get the job done. 

My favourite memories involve the people I met – the new friends I made and the great times with those people in Groody, Milford Grange and the Cedars. People make places in my opinion. 

I also played soccer for UL all the way through from the Harding to Collinwood Cup and some of my fondest memories were made with those guys, both on and off the pitch. We had overnight trips to Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Galway – you name it. We had a great team that got to the Collingwood final in 2008 and narrowly missed out. All of us lads are still in a WhatsApp group now and that day and what could have been haunts us. 

I keep an eye on UL and was delighted to see them finally win the Collingwood Cup two years ago. The manager, Mike McCarthy, kindly sent a UL jersey to us after we looked after them with pizza. It’s on the wall in our office.

Are there any lecturers who inspired you during your time ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ? 

Ronan: The marketing side of the course is what I really enjoyed. Professor John Fahy and Dr Conor Carroll were excellent. The mighty Professor Martin Hayes was also a standout on the soccer side.  

Eugene: Dr Conor Carroll was top class. He was our lecturer and then became Head of the Department of Management and Marketing. Everyone had nothing but respect for him. 

Dr Maurice Patterson was amazing as well. He taught consumer behaviour, which I found fascinating and still do. I wasn't an accounting fan, but Dr John Henegan was super passionate – so passionate that he may have removed me once or twice from his class for being 30 seconds late, but all is forgiven.

Professor Martin Hayes also needs a mention for his dedication to soccer in UL.

Tell us about your career journey so far and your journey to setting up The Dough Bros. 

Ronan: As I said, business and food has been in our genes. We have always been big pizza fans and in 2013, we saw a real opportunity to make proper Neapolitan style pizza with personality, using the amazing produce we have in Ireland. 

I had just finished college and Euge was laid off from his sales and marketing job. It was a now and never moment. We definitely weren't ready at the time, but you never are! We just went for it and have never looked back. It's been an incredible journey over the last 12 years and we’re more excited than ever for what the future brings. 

Eugene: Our parents and grandad inspired us to set up The Dough Bros. We wanted to do our family and community proud and have a big impact. 

There was a huge gap in pizza. We saw an opportunity to raise the bar, but do so in an authentic way, using the best local ingredients. Ireland has some of the best meat, dairy and veg in the world. So, we asked why the best pizzeria in the world couldn’t someday be here in Ireland. 

That’s our mission – to put Irish pizza on the international stage and take on the big boys in New York, Naples, etc.

What does it take to build such a successful business? 

Ronan: No matter what, it takes a great team to build any successful business. We employ nearly 70 people now, which is mad, but always amazes me. I absolutely love the culture we have within our organisation and the people within it are what make it. 

Our senior management team have been with us from 7-11 years and it's so fulfilling now that we have grown to a place where we can offer them massively exciting roles in the company with great responsibility and a career path to progress. 

Working with great people also extends to our suppliers. We have built up a network of brilliant people – proper characters, passionate growers, makers, doers, who love what they do, and all of that together makes a great sauce. 

Being internationally recognised as the 15^th best pizzeria in the world was special. From a pizzeria in the west of Ireland to be listed amongst pizza greatness from New York, Naples and beyond is brilliant. 

We also just won Gold at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards for our pizza bases that are sold in Dunnes Stores. Retail is completely new territory for us and to win gold with our first product is fantastic.

Eugene: We’re not interested in being the biggest, otherwise we would have franchised this business years ago. What drives us is the challenge – breaking new ground, setting a new standard and having some of the best pizzerias in the world look over their shoulder at some small pizzeria in Galway that is doing great things with great produce made by great people. 

We don’t have a masterplan. We just want to be the best we can be, day in, day out and try do what has not been done before.

What is it like to be in business with your brother?

Ronan: A big brother no less…awful of course! All jokes aside, we make an incredible team. It’s a real privilege to get to experience this journey together. I would not want it any other way. We support each other, challenge each other and balance each other very naturally. 

In business, of course, there are a lot of hard days – big calls to make, tough decisions to work through but there is nobody better to bounce stuff off than family. This is very much a family business. 

Our younger sister Ali has been with us for 11 years. She was our first hire when we opened our pop-up restaurant in 2014. She is now the head of e-commerce for the business and is a huge asset. Our mam worked with us in the office for seven years and retired last year. Our dad helps out at the drop of a hat with whenever is needed. There are cousins who've all worked here and learned their trade. Family is massively important to us and our entire organisation really has that family feel and spirit. 

Eugene: It’s genuinely incredible to be in business with my brother. One of the most rewarding things about this journey is that we get to share the success and achievements together. The journey and some of the things that have happened us have been surreal. 

We couldn't be more different in how we work, but we somehow work so well together. We don’t have any roles written down or structure – we just know. We complement each other well. We are in a great place to drive this business forward.

Here ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, we’re known as the ‘¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ of Firsts’ – are there any important ‘firsts’ that you experienced as a UL student?

Ronan: I got to experience living abroad for the first time on co-op, which is an experience that shouldn't be overlooked when deciding where to go to college. 

Eugene: It was the first comprehensive business plan that I had completed, which little did I know would be the first of many, with the most important one being developed five years on from leaving UL. We have not looked back since.

What advice would you give to anyone considering Business Studies ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ?

Ronan: I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Being from Galway it was great to get away and experience living away from home. A lot of my friends stayed in Galway and went to University of Galway or ATU. I'm so glad I got to live away from home, and UL was just the perfect fit for me. Business Studies and Marketing was great, and the added benefit of the co-op year is brilliant. 

Eugene: Do it! There is no better place to experience college life. The course and practical experience are amazing, but it’s the environment, the friendships and memories that will last a lifetime. Cheeseeeey!

What are your hopes and plans for the future? 

Ronan: To keep improving in every way we can. If we focus on that and continue to hold the smallest details to the highest standards who knows where it will lead. It might just lead us higher up the world ranking list to number 1! If you’re going to dream, you might as well dream big. 

Eugene: We have no grand master plan, as mentioned before, but one thing we do know is we are on a mission to have our pizzeria in Galway named as the best in the world. We may not get there, but if we have that mindset, I am sure plenty more great moments and highlights will happen along the way. 

But it’s not just about shaking things up in the restaurant scene. We want to change the game in retail online and other channels too while developing world class talent from our team as we can only do it with them.

Here ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, we encourage our students to ‘Stay Curious’. What keeps you curious and how important has curiosity been in your business?

Ronan: Curiosity is at the heart of everything we do. We can always improve. We can always learn, progress and be better. We question and challenge what we do on a daily basis – our dough, our menu, our systems, our customer experience, the list goes on. 

Stay curious with a constant desire to learn and improve. We only get one chance at life, so why not? 

Eugene: Curiosity has been key to our business. Our focus is quite small but leads to huge results. By being curious and asking ourselves everyday things like how can the dough be better, how can the pizza be better, who is the next amazing Irish food producer, how can we make the experience better – all these questions drive us to do better.

Keep asking, keep learning, keep improving and keep moving forward better than you did before. You’ll be surprised where it will take you.