Greggs expands across Northern Ireland with six new sites

Greggs, the popular bakery and hot food chain, is ramping up its expansion efforts in Northern Ireland with plans to open six new sites in the region, four of which will be located in Belfast.

This growth comes as part of a larger nationwide strategy that has seen Greggs open over 150 locations in the UK this year, bringing its total number of outlets to 2,560.

The expansion in Northern Ireland began last month with two new openings: one at the Oaks Centre in Dungannon and another in Belfast’s Forestside shopping centre.

These additions raised Greggs’ local portfolio to 22 outlets, with more on the way. By the end of this new wave of openings, Greggs will operate 28 sites across Northern Ireland.

Among the upcoming locations are four new sites in Belfast, planned for CastleCourt, York Street, Titanic Quarter, and Lisburn Road. This will bring the total number of Greggs stores in the city to 12.

Notably, the Lisburn Road location will occupy the former Deane & Decano space, previously operated by well-known chef Michael Deane, which closed in August 2023. Greggs received planning approval to convert the former café-bistro into a hot food takeaway.

Additionally, a new drive-thru Greggs is scheduled to open in Craigavon, marking the brand’s second drive-thru in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, in Omagh, Greggs is preparing to reopen a site at the Showgrounds Retail Park, which originally launched in February 2019.

This location closed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 but is now being refurbished, with a reopening planned for December.

Greggs has seen a significant boost in sales recently, reporting a growth of more than 10% over the past few weeks.

The chain has also ventured into new offerings, including the launch of its first champagne bar last month, where patrons can enjoy premium champagne paired with Greggs’ signature bakes.

This follows the debut of Greggs’ first “fine dining” bistro last year, which featured a festive menu that delighted more than 8,000 guests in a single month.

As Greggs continues its impressive growth across the UK, its expansion in Northern Ireland highlights the brand’s commitment to serving its loyal customer base with new and innovative formats, while bringing its classic offerings to even more locations.