When Cornucopia, one of Dublin’s most beloved vegetarian restaurants, decided to launch a line of cold-pressed juices and upgrade its service counter, owner Deirdre McCafferty needed funding fast. A peer-to-peer loan from Linked Finance gave her the capital and the community support to bring the vision to life.
Since opening its doors in 1986, Cornucopia has become a landmark of wholefood and vegetarian cuisine in Dublin City Centre. Over nearly four decades, the restaurant has served more than 5.5 million customers with nourishing, sustainable meals from its charming premises on Wicklow Street.
At the heart of Cornucopia is Deirdre McCafferty, who has grown the restaurant into more than just a place to eat. It’s a hub for health-conscious locals, tourists, and loyal regulars alike.
In 2015, Deirdre and her team decided to take Cornucopia to the next level. They launched their own brand of food products, including cold-pressed juices, with a vision to make plant-based nutrition even more accessible.
At the same time, their service counter, central to the customer experience, was overdue for a complete overhaul.
Together, these two priorities would require €50,000 in funding. Traditional bank finance wasn’t the right fit. Deirdre wanted a faster, more transparent way to raise capital, ideally one that also aligned with the values of her community-focused brand.
Deirdre chose a peer-to-peer loan through Linked Finance, and the experience exceeded expectations.
“Our experience with Linked Finance was wonderful. We raised the funds we needed to grow the business, and we got the opportunity to connect with great local lenders,” she says.
The application process was smooth and painless. Within hours, Cornucopia’s loan request was live on the platform.
But what really set the campaign apart was the team’s approach to maximising visibility.
Cornucopia used the loan campaign as an opportunity to rally its community:
The result? A fast, successful funding round that brought in not just capital, but new customers and supporters as well.
With the loan secured, Cornucopia was able to:
“Linked Finance have been wonderful to work with and fully supported us throughout the campaign. We’d highly recommend them to any business looking to grow,” Deirdre adds.
Whether you’re launching a new product or investing in your next big upgrade, Linked Finance offers fast, flexible loans of up to €500,000 for Irish SMEs, backed by real people who believe in local success stories.
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A Room Outside has been a valued customer at Linked Finance since 2017. Owners Caroline and Liam Whelan have worked closely with Linked Finance and their dedicated Account Manager, Shane O’Connor, to organise business financing over the last number of years to take their business to new and exciting heights.
At Linked Finance we aim to provide speed, simplicity, and support for every customer we deal with to ensure they get the right business financing at the right time. For repeat customers like A Room Outside, they know what to expect and we make sure that they are getting the support that won’t be found anywhere else.