Belfast-founded juice and snack chain Juice Jar is set to expand into the Republic for the first time.
It will open its seventh outlet on Dublin’s iconic Dawson Street in March, enhancing the already vibrant offering of food and drink options available in the area.
The 2,000 sq ft store will employ 16 new employees, and it joins six existing venues - four in Belfast (Wellington Place, Botanic, Ormeau Road and Lisburn Road) and one each in Portrush and in Bristol. In total, Juice Jar currently employs 64 staff
Juice Jar was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur Sam Shephard following his experience of healthier on the go options while living in London and travelling in Australia.
The business focuses on a mixture of options from freshly-made sourdough sandwiches, fresh juices, smoothies and its social media viral acai bowls.
All food is made to order in front of the customer to build trust and display their commitment to healthy, unprocessed food.
The Juice Jar-organised ‘Run Clubs’, well-being events and merchandise will also join the menu line up at the Dawson Street venue.
Sam said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to finally be able to launch our Juice Jar concept in Dublin and cannot wait to deliver something truly special.
“Belfast has embraced our vision of fresh, unprocessed and nutritious foods as well as our in-store events.
“I cannot wait to build our Juice Jar community in Dawson Street and grow our footprint across Ireland.”
Meanwhile one of the world’s fastest-growing bubble tea brands is opening its first franchise store in Belfast.
Gong cha, which now has more than 2,100 outlets worldwide, launches on Friday January 24 at 66-68 Botanic Avenue, where the first 100 people through the door will receive a free bubble tea.
The chain’s founder Super Wu opened his first tea shop in Taiwan in 1996, experimenting with tea blends and pioneering its signature milk foam, and a decade later the Gong cha brand officially launched in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Inspired by the tradition of offering tea as a tribute to the emperor, “Gong cha” stands for the highest quality - a commitment that set the foundation for its global growth.
Its first overseas store opened in Hong Kong in 2009, marking the beginning of a global expansion, starting with key Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Macau, before entering South Korea in 2011 and a year later taking its first steps beyond Asia t launch in Australia.
It opened in Japan in 2015, the Americas and Canada in 2016 and then Vietnam in 2018 before further expansion took it to Europe and South America, and by 2023, it surpassed 2,000 stores globally, with new markets including Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and Mauritius.
Belfast will be Gong cha’s first outlet on the island of Ireland.
