LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - British coffee and sandwich chain Pret A Manger is to expand into Ireland and Northern Ireland, it said on Monday.
Pret, owned by investment group JAB and founder Sinclair Beecham, said a deal with franchisee Carebrook Partnership Ltd will see a new shop open in Dublin first, with the ambition to open 20 shops across the island of Ireland over the next ten years, creating about 500 jobs.
The move forms part of Pret’s plan to expand into new markets across the world.
Pret said last year it aimed to double the size of the business within five years, including launching into five new markets by the end of 2023.
The group currently has shops in the United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore and Germany. (Reporting by James Davey, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)