Pret A Manger to open first cafe in Northern Ireland

Pret A Manger is to open its first cafe in Northern Ireland later this year as part of a major expansion drive.

The coffee and sandwich chain will launch a site on Donegall Square West in Belfast, which will be operated by franchise partner Carebrook Partnership Ltd.

It forms part of Pret's plan to open 20 stores across the island of Ireland over the next 10 years and follows the launch of three cafes in Dublin over the last 18 months.

The high street chain posted a profit for the first time in four years in 2022 after the pandemic saw a drop in its traditional commuter trade.

It launched a coffee subscription service in 2020 to tempt back customers and raised the price from £25 a month to £30 in June. This saw the scheme expanded to include a 10% discount on food, as well as five free barista- prepared drinks per day.

Pret launched in London in 1986 and now employs nearly 8,000 people in the UK across its 446 shops.

In 2021, Pret announced plans to double the size of its business within five years and has since expanded into Ireland, Kuwait, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, and India and has announced franchise partnerships in Spain, Portugal, and Israel.

International sales now account for 18.9% of its revenue and the chain expects to have over 700 shops trading worldwide by the end of 2023.