'Another exciting step forward in our rapid expansion': US Mexican-inspired fast-food chain to open first Northern Ireland store as part of wider growth strategy

Applegreen is to open Northern Ireland’s first Taco Bell Mexican-inspired restaurant following a successful partnership with the US-based company across the UK and Ireland.

The new eatery will open at its Lisburn North location on the M1 next month.

John Diviney, managing director of Applegreen UK, explained: “We are really excited to announce this partnership to launch the iconic Taco Bell brand in Northern Ireland.

“Taco Bell has been a huge success on the island of Ireland since we launched our first outlet in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath last September, and it has also been very popular with our customers in Britain.”

Bringing Taco Bell to Northern Ireland will provide consumers with additional choice, according to Mr Diviney: “Applegreen’s core goal is to offer our customers high quality roadside hospitality by partnering with leading brands such as Taco Bell. The enhancements that we constantly make to our business are designed to delight our customers and to provide them with an even better experience.”

Applegreen currently operates three Taco Bell outlets in the Republic of Ireland and 10 Taco Bells at its Welcome Break business in the UK. The Taco Bell at Lisburn North will be open seven days a week, from 11am to 10pm.

“Taco Bell’s opening in Northern Ireland marks another exciting step forward in our rapid expansion across the UK and Ireland,” said Keyur Patel, Market Leader, Taco Bell UK & Ireland.

“We’re proud to expand Taco Bell’s footprint and bring our bold flavours and iconic products to new consumers.”

Taco Bell, which is based in Irvine, California, operates more than 8,700 restaurants worldwide. Known for its craveable and bold Mexican-inspired flavours, Taco Bell’s menu offers a variety of delicious products and unique tastes. Consumer favourites include the famous Crunchy Taco as well as Burritos, Quesadillas, Nachos, and the iconic Crunchwrap Supreme™.

Applegreen operates five locations in Northern Ireland. The two largest sites are just outside Lisburn, on the northern and southern sides of the M1 motorway, and it also has sites in Templepatrick, Ballymena, and Hillsborough.

Opening Taco Bell in Northern Ireland is part of a €1billion upgrade and expansion plan by Applegreen that will see significant investment across the company’s operations in Ireland, the UK, and the United States.

Applegreen, which is one of Ireland’s leading hospitality brands, currently operates about 435 locations and has more than 700 branded food outlets across its international network. The company employs about 17,000 people and had annual sales of €3.8 billion in 2024.

Applegreen has almost 200 sites in the Republic of Ireland and also operates 61 service areas and 31 hotels in the UK through its Welcome Break business. Welcome Break employs more than 6,000 people in the UK and serves more than 85 million customers annually.

Welcome Break, which can trace its roots back to 1959 and the beginning of motorway services in Britain, is a leading operator of motorway and roadside service areas in the UK.