Applegreen launches Ireland’s first Taco Bell in €15m M3 motorway development.
Applegreen has opened Ireland’s first Taco Bell restaurant as part of a €15 million investment in a new motorway service area at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
The development marks the company’s largest single investment in Ireland this year and is expected to create more than 100 jobs.
“Our Dunshaughlin site sets the standard for roadside hospitality in Ireland, with comfortable bright modern seating areas for customers, and a range of high-quality food options”
The new facility includes a range of food and retail offerings, such as an M&S Food shop-in-shop, a Braeburn Coffee Café, a Burger King outlet, and Applegreen’s new Crafted Kitchen & Deli concept. It also features a convenience store, a children’s play area, and a forecourt service station. The site is open 24 hours a day, with food outlets operating from 6am to 11pm.
Driving a difference
“We’re delighted to bring Taco Bell to the Irish market, and to open our newest site in Ireland,” said Seamus Stapleton, managing director of Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland business.
“Our Dunshaughlin site sets the standard for roadside hospitality in Ireland, with comfortable bright modern seating areas for customers, and a range of high-quality food options.”
Customers queued for the official opening at 10am and received complimentary Taco Bell merchandise, including tote bags and bucket hats. Applegreen plans to open additional Taco Bell locations in Ireland in the near future.
The Dunshaughlin site forms part of Applegreen’s broader €1bn expansion strategy across Ireland, the UK, and the United States over the next five years.
The company typically invests up to €50m annually in its Irish operations and is continuing to grow its Braeburn Café brand and its partnership with M&S Food, which currently spans 30 outlets and is expected to reach 60.
Applegreen operates nearly 200 locations in Ireland and has a total of more than 430 sites globally, with over 700 branded food offers. The company employs approximately 16,000 people and reported a turnover of nearly €4 billion last year, serving around 180 million customers annually.
Internationally, Applegreen has 181 sites in the United States and more than 300 branded food outlets. It was recently awarded a 35-year contract to operate 18 highway service plazas in Massachusetts, with a $750m investment planned to build nine new sites and upgrade the remaining nine.
In Colorado, the company has commenced work on a $70m project to develop four new highway service plazas.
In the UK, Applegreen’s Welcome Break subsidiary operates 60 sites, including 36 motorway service areas and 31 hotels. The company is also planning an €85m investment to expand its electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Ireland, the UK, and the US.
Top image: Aaron Duggan, Director of Operations & Food Applegreen, Nayana Melton, Taco Bell, Vaida Dekaminaviciute, Taco Bell, Ian Cranna, General Manager Taco Bell Europe, officially open Ireland’s first Taco Bell, at Applegreen Dunshaughlin
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