O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars has signed a deal with British company Select Service Partner, which will see the franchise chain open 50 new stores in transit areas in Britain and Ireland over the next five years.
The deal is estimated to be worth £50 million sterling (€81.2 million) to O'Briens.
Concession food service specialist Select Service Partner is part of Compass Group UK, one of the world's largest catering companies. It operates from ports, airports and railway stations.
Under the deal, O'Briens will set up franchise stores in locations owned by Select Service Partner. O'Briens already operates a number of franchise units in conjunction with Select Service Partner at Dublin Airport and on board the HSS Stena Explorer, its first fully mobile unit.
Mr Brody Sweeney, chief executive of O'Briens, said: "We are delighted to confirm this deal with Select Service Partner. Their high-profile locations are extremely important for building the brand in both Ireland and the UK. The position of the proposed outlets will mean that soon it will be difficult to leave or enter Ireland without passing an O'Briens Sandwich Bar."
O'Briens now operates 160 franchises globally in Ireland, Britain, the UK, Singapore, Australia and the US. Last year, the company said it recorded a 50 per cent rise in turnover, but did not give figures. Before yesterday's announcement, the Dublin-based franchise operation said it planned to open a further 67 new stores by the end of the year, taking its total to more than 200 globally.
