Chick-fil-A, the US fast food chain, has entered into a new licensing partnership with Applegreen for Northern Ireland.
The first of two locations will open at Applegreen’s Lisburn South motorway service area on the M1 later this month, followed by the second location at Applegreen Templepatrick on the M2 in March.
The new restaurants will create 70 new jobs, bringing Applegreen’s overall employment numbers in Northern Ireland to 351.
The news follows Chick-fil-A's recent announcement that it will enter the UK market in 2025, starting with five restaurants across four cities.
"We are delighted to be bringing Chick-fil-A to Northern Ireland with this new partnership agreement," said Caroline Cherington, regional operations director for Applegreen, Northern Ireland.
"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."
Chick-fil-A is the third largest quick service restaurant company by sales volume in the United States, and operates more than 3,000 restaurants across the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Applegreen already has a partnership with Chick-fil-A in the United States, as it operates 14 of its restaurants at its US-based motorway service areas.
Last year Chick-fil-A announced its intention to invest $100 million (€97 million) to expand its business into the UK over the next 10 years. Its first five restaurant locations in the UK will be in Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool and London.
Chick-fil-A owner-operators live and work in the communities their restaurants serve. The family-owned and privately held company was founded in 1967 by S. Truett Cathy.
