Mexican‑inspired quick‑service restaurant chain Taco Bell is to open its first Northern Ireland outlet in May.
It will launch in Applegreen’s Lisburn North location on the M1 as part of a €1 billion upgrade and expansion plan by the service station chain which will see significant investment across its operations in Ireland, the UK, and the US.
“We’re hugely excited to confirm this partnership to bring the iconic Taco Bell brand to Northern Ireland,” said John Diviney, managing director of Applegreen UK.
“Taco Bell has been a huge success on the island of Ireland since we launched our first outlet in Co Meath last September, and it has also been very popular with our customers in Britain.”
He added: “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.
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 durritos, quesadillas, nachos, and the iconic Crunchwrap Supreme
“Our opening in Northern Ireland marks another exciting step forward in our rapid expansion across the UK and Ireland,” says Keyur Patel, market leader at Taco Bell UK & Ireland.”
Founded in 1962 and ased in California, Taco Bell operates more than 8,700 restaurants worldwide, serving tacos, burritos, quesadillas and other Tex‑Mex‑style fast food.
Applegreen, one of Ireland’s leading hospitality brands, currently operates 435 locations (including five in Northern Ireland) and has more than 700 branded food outlets across its international network.
It employs 17,000 people and had annual sales of €3.8 billion in 2024.
Applegreen has almost 200 sites in the Republic and also operates 61 service areas and 31 hotels in the UK through its Welcome Break business, which employs more than 6,000 people in the UK and serves 85 million customers a year.