Popular British coffee chain Pret a Manger is set to open its first Irish store in Dublin this year.
The Irish Times reports that that coffee and sandwich chain plans to open its first Irish shop in the old Starbucks on Dawson Street.
Pret a Manger had previous plans to move to Ireland but were reportedly put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group closed 39 stores in the UK due to the pandemic, laying off more than 3,700 staff.
In 2021, the company announced plans to spend almost €120 million on doubling in size by 2026, in addition to the goal of expanding into five new markets by the end of 2023
Pret a Manger's CEO Pano Christou said in a statement: "What the pandemic has shown us is that even at the darkest moments, more people want to experience Pret – whether that’s customers outside of London and other big cities, new franchise partners who want to work with us here and overseas, investors in our business, or people who want to grow their careers here and be part of what we’re trying to build.
"It’s been an incredibly tough two years, but we have a big opportunity ahead. Last year, we delivered more change than in thirty years of Pret’s history.
"As we move into the next phase of our transformation, we want to keep the same pace of innovation, but use it drive new growth."
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter.
