Spain’s Telepizza has bought Apache Pizza, paying up to €10.7 million for a majority slice of the firm.
Telepizza is part of a joint venture with Irish-based OKR, which also holds the Irish Burger King franchise.
Apache has more than 130 stores on the island of Ireland, while Telepizza operates more than 1,600 worldwide.
Robert Pendleton, who co-founded Apache in 1996 with his wife Emily Gore Grimes, will stay on as managing director of the group.
Mr Pendleton said there are 9 more franchised stores in the pipline which should open this summer.
Apache employs more than 2,300 staff here.
