Fast-food chain McDonald’s will invest €150 million in Ireland over the next five years, opening 25 new restaurants and creating approximately 1,750 jobs, the company announced Tuesday.
The first of the new locations opened last month in New Ross, County Wexford, with four more planned to open this year. McDonald’s intends to open an average of five new restaurants annually, bringing the total number of restaurants in Ireland to 100, coinciding with the company’s 50th anniversary in the country next year.
Currently, McDonald’s operates 96 restaurants across Ireland, all independently owned and operated by 18 Irish franchisees. These restaurants collectively employ over 7,000 people.
Mike Spencer, vice-president of development at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, stated that “The outlook for McDonald’s in Ireland is very positive, and we have a clear plan to invest more than €150 million here over the next five years.” He added that the investment would “support the opening of up to five new restaurants each year – around 25 in total – and the creation of approximately 1,750 new jobs across the country.”
Jerry Buttimer, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, welcomed the announcement, stating that it was “a strong endorsement of the value of long-term investment in Ireland’s communities.”
The company has not yet disclosed the locations of the remaining 20 restaurants.
