Public voting is now open.

The finalists for the 69th annual Cork Business Association Cork Business of the Year Awards — sponsored by PTSB — have dropped.

Judges say this year was the most competitive yet, with a record-breaking number of entries flooding in from across the city. So competitive, in fact, that four finalists were shortlisted in every category — and five made the cut in Tourism, Culture & Arts because the judges simply couldn’t choose.

Very Cork. Very dramatic.

A new era for digital Cork

In a nod to the city’s ever-growing online scene, a brand-new category — Best Cork Content Creator — has been added for 2026, celebrating the Instagrammers, storytellers and digital champions putting Cork on the map locally and beyond.

The finalists in that category are:

• Bitsandbites / @bitsandbites.ie
• Sunshine Primo / @sunshine_primo
• Cork Volunteer Centre / @volunteercork
• Marina Market / @marinamarketcork

Public voting now accounts for 50% of the result (with the other half decided by judges), while the overall Cork Business of the Year will be chosen solely by the panel.

Photo: Joleen Cronin

Winners will be crowned at the CBA President’s Dinner & Awards on March 28th, 2026 at Vienna Woods Hotel — a firm fixture in Cork’s business and social calendar. The night will be hosted by Marty Morrissey and KC, with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivering the keynote address.

The cafés, the cult favourites, the heavy hitters

From indie coffee spots to fine dining institutions, much-loved pubs to family-run stalwarts, this year’s shortlist reads like a “where we actually spend our money” guide to Cork.

Among those in the running:

• Best VFI Pub nominees include Fitzgerald’s Bar at The Imperial, The Welcome Inn and Franciscan Well Brewpub.

• Best Café contenders feature DUKES Coffee Company and Bakestone Café Pantry & Bakery.

• In Best Restaurant, heavyweights like Ichigo Ichie Bistro and Cornstore Cork are battling it out.

• The legendary Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is shortlisted in Best Festival or Event.

• And cultural gems like Nano Nagle Place and MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory feature in Tourism, Culture & Arts.

CBA President Dave O’Brien said the record entries reflect the ambition and resilience of Cork businesses, praising the strength of innovation, sustainability and community spirit across the board.

Cork isn’t just open for business — it’s thriving.

If you’ve got a favourite café, creator, retailer or local legend on the list, now’s your moment. Voting is live at corkbusiness.ie, and bragging rights are very much at stake.