THE north's largest independent coffee chain has announced a multi-million pound expansion, which will three new stores open in Northern Ireland, the Republic and Scotland.
Ground Espresso has confirmed that three new stores will open in Northern Ireland in the coming weeks, with the £400,000 investment creating over 40 full and part time jobs. The three new stand-alone sites include the old Pump House in Portadown, Laganbank Retail Park in Lisburn and Victoria Square in Belfast. The major investment will ensure a Ground is located every county in the north and will bring the company’s total number of coffee shops to 23.
Further expansion will continue next year with a new store for Newry, two in the pipeline for Dublin and four stores confirmed in Scotland, all of which will be housed within Next stores, who Ground have been working with since 2014. The new locations will see the company's concessions with Next stores double in 2018. A further four stand-alone Ground Espresso Bars are also planned for Scotland along with "several" new locations in Northern Ireland.
Operations director Karen Gardiner said it is exciting times as the company embarks on its second major expansion in three years.
"We are looking forward to opening more stores locally and in the Republic of Ireland, and are thrilled to be launching our brand in Scotland with both stand-alone stores and concession stores within Next plc. Our partnership with Next plc has gone from strength to strength over the last two years and we look forward to continued success and to expanding the Ground team further throughout the UK and Ireland.”
Ground currently employs over 250 staff across 20 stand-alone stores and concessions in Ireland and is owned by Karen and Darren Gardiner.
“We made a commitment when we opened our first store 16 years ago to provide the Northern Ireland public with high quality coffee and fresh homemade produce, and this has been testament to our success and in helping us build a loyal customer base. We are grateful for the positive reception and support we receive from all the local communities we serve and will continue to provide an authentic customer experience and great coffee as we continue to develop our store network," Darren added.
