Bakery and hot food chain Greggs has been given the green light for its first ever drive-thru in Northern Ireland.
Planners at Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Council have approved an application from Turkington Properties for a 185 sq metres site at the Marlborough Retail Park in Craigavon, next to the Burger King drive-thru.
And when it opens in the summer it will take the number of Greggs locations in the north to 20.
At least 20 jobs are likely to be created as a result of the investment.
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The chain – famed for its sausage rolls – is also eyeing a site in Bangor close to Sainsbury’s at the Dunlop Commercial Park on Balloo Link.
In supporting statements submitted to ABC Council, Turkington Properties said the Greggs store will have 31 seats inside and 29 car parking spaces, including two disabled spots.
Marlborough Retail Park has grown since it replaced the former B&Q store, which closed eight years ago.
It currently boasts more than 80,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, with tenants including Marks & Spencer, Home Bargains, O’Neills and Airtastic.
In January Greggs revealed plans to open up to another 160 stores in the year ahead.
The Newcastle upon Tyne-based group opened a record 220 new shops over 2023, with 33 closures and 42 relocations leaving it with 145 new sites on a net basis and taking its total estate to 2,473.
Greggs said it will open between 140 and 160 new shops on a net basis in 2024 as it looks to give customers more convenient access to its stores.