Applegreen announces €1bn investment to expand operations
The announcement follows a 9% rise in gross profits last year, reaching €972 million.
Applegreen plans to invest €1 billion over the next five years to expand its business, which serves 180 million customers annually across Ireland, the UK, and the US. The announcement follows a 9% rise in gross profits last year, reaching €972 million.
In Ireland, Applegreen operates nearly 200 locations and plans to grow its Braeburn coffee offering and M&S Food partnership from 19 to over 60 sites. It is also expanding its network of motorway and roadside service areas and EV charging hubs. Recent projects include a €10 million service area in Limerick, a €3 million upgrade in Portlaoise, and an upcoming motorway service area in Dunshaughlin featuring EV charging and multiple food options.
In the US, where Applegreen manages over 100 service areas, food operations dominate. Its brands include Shake Shack, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks. Having invested €1 billion in the US since 2014, Applegreen is now one of the largest Irish employers there.
In the UK, Applegreen’s Welcome Break business is growing, with €66 million allocated to a new M1 service area in Rotherham. The company also recently launched a successful A1 service area in Newark and has started construction in Nottinghamshire.
Despite a 6% drop in total turnover to €3.9 billion last year, attributed to lower fuel prices, Applegreen reported strong growth in food and convenience store revenue, up 11%. EBITDA increased nearly 7% to €271 million, while a pre-tax loss of €83 million reflected non-recurring charges and investments.
Co-founder and CEO Joe Barrett highlighted Applegreen’s ongoing expansion and site upgrades, saying, “We expect significant growth as we enhance our offerings and EV charging networks in all markets.”
Applegreen employs 17,000 people across 592 locations in Ireland, the UK, and the US.
