Fuel and forecourt retailer Applegreen said today it will open two new Taco Bell restaurants at Lusk Northbound on the M1 in Dublin and at Ballincollig in Cork before the end of this year, creating 60 new jobs.
Applegreen said it will undertake a major refurbishment of both locations and will also add new M&S Food shop-in-shop outlets and new Crafted Kitchen & Deli operations at each site. A new Braeburn café will also be opening at the site in Lusk, it added.
The upgrades are part of Applegreen's €50m investment plan in the Irish market for this year.
The company opened the country's first Taco Bell restaurant at Dunshaughlin in Co Meath in September and has plans to add further outlets across its Irish portfolio as part of a partnership with the US-based company.
Seamus Stapleton, Managing Director of Applegreen's Republic of Ireland business, said the company was "delighted" to transform its existing sites at Lusk North and at Ballincollig with the new brands and significant in-store enhancements.
"Our goal is to offer our customers passionate roadside hospitality by partnering with brands such as Taco Bell and Marks & Spencer, as well as enhancing our own brand offering with Braeburn Café, and Crafted," he added.
Applegreen continues to expand its partnership with M&S Food and with the addition of the Lusk and Ballincollig sites it will now have 35 M&S Food shop-in-shop outlets. It plans to grow this number to more than 60 outlets in the medium term.
"Applegreen's growing partnership with M&S supports our leading customer proposition in the Irish market and we are excited to continue investing in this first to market offer," Mr Stapleton said.
Applegreen is investing both in new locations and in upgrades to existing sites. It plans to further grow its partnerships with M&S Food, and with Taco Bell, and to continue expand its Braeburn Coffee brand - which is now available in more than 100 locations nationwide and at 10 Braeburn Cafés - as well as its new Crafted Kitchen & Deli offer.
