Applegreen has entered a new licensing partnership for Northern Ireland with American quick-service restaurant (QSR) Chick-Fil-A, it was announced today.
The news follows US-headquartered Chick-Fil-A’s recent announcement that it will enter the UK market in 2025, starting with five restaurants across four cities.
Later this month, the first of two Northern Irish Chick-Fil-A locations will open at Applegreen’s Lisburn South motorway service area on the M1.
A second location at Applegreen Templepatrick on the M2 will then open in March.
The new restaurants will create 70 new jobs, bringing Applegreen’s overall employment numbers in Northern Ireland to 351.
Applegreen already has a successful partnership with Chick-Fil-A in the US, operating 14 restaurants at its US-based motorway service areas.
Chick-Fil-A is the third-largest QSR company by sales volume in the US, operating more than 3,000 restaurants across the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.
‘Exceptional Hospitality’
Speaking about the development, the regional operations director for Applegreen Northern Ireland Caroline Cherington said, “We are delighted to be bringing Chick-Fil-A to Northern Ireland with this new partnership agreement.
“Having successfully operated Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the United States for several years, we know how much customers love their high-quality food, and we’re excited to introduce this brand to a new audience.”
The opening of the new restaurants follows significant upgrades to the Applegreen service areas at both Lisburn South and Templepatrick.
These included the addition of new M&S Food stores at both locations.
Cherington said, “Our focus is on delighting our customers on the road with exceptional hospitality and the brands they love, with the aim of delivering the best experience to customers on the move.”
Applegreen operates five locations in Northern Ireland.
The two largest sites are just outside Lisburn on each side of the M1 motorway, and it also has sites in Templepatrick, Ballymena and Hillsborough.
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