Pret A Manger’s first shop in Northern Ireland is set to open later this year in Belfast city centre.
Operated by its longstanding franchise partner Carebrook Partnership Ltd., it marks the fourth Pret outlet on the island of Ireland following the opening of three shops in Dublin in the last 18 months.
The food-to-go firm has also announced its ambition to expand its estate in Ireland and Northern Ireland to 20 shops within the next decade.
Up to 20 new jobs will be created by the new store on Belfast’s Donegall Square West, with Pret looking to recruit in a number of roles including Team Members, Managers and Baristas. The outlet will sell Pret’s standard range of freshly made sandwiches, snacks, baked goods, salads, and hot food options, alongside coffees, teas, and other hot and iced drinks.
“We’re delighted to be opening Pret’s first-ever shop in Northern Ireland as part of our ambitious plans to bring Pret to more people,” said Pret UK & Ireland managing director Clare Clough.
“We’ve long heard that Belfast locals and visitors would love to have a Pret, so we can’t wait to welcome them to our new shop right in the heart of the city with our longstanding franchise partner Carebrook, who has had much success operating Pret shops in the UK and on the island of Ireland,” Clough added.
Carebrook’s chief executive Gerard Loughran called the Belfast opening an “important milestone” in its partnership with Pret, which extends back over 30 years. “We hope it can become a hotspot for locals and visitors alike,” commented Loughran.
Headquartered in London, Pret currently operates in 15 markets on three continents with 446 shops in the UK and a total of 600 internationally. It expects to have over 700 shops worldwide by the end of 2023.
It reported sales of £429.9m for the first six months of this year, an increase of more than a fifth compared to the same period in 2022. This was said to be driven by the chain’s enhanced subscription offer, which includes a 10% discount on all food and snacks, and international expansion such as last year’s franchise deals across Portugal and Spain.