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Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
The best and worst Scottish motorway service areas as rated by Which?
Westmorland Family sites top the poll but Moto's dominate the bottom ten Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The failure of poorly-rated motorway service station operators to improve their dismal facilities is criticised by consumer champions in a report on Friday which found little has changed since their last survey four years ago. Which? singled out Moto, which had nine of the ten worst rated sites among the 90 surveyed, including Kinross on the M90 which was given a customer score of just 36 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Welcome Break runs two motorway service areas in Scotland | Russell Sach/Welcome Break However, it praised operator Westmorland Family for again dominating the top of the poll with three of the top four, including fourth placed Cairn Lodge on the M74, which scored 72 per cent. Cairn Lodge, on the M74 in Lanarkshire, came third out of 70 in a Which? poll of more than 2,700 of its members. | Contributed Which? said very little had changed since its last survey in 2021 and the 9,000 visits by its members for the latest report 'still paint a bleak picture of a motorway network that's blighted by dirty, dated and inadequate services'. They were rated for for food and other prices, shops, food and drink selection, facilities, cleanliness, convenience and accessibility and outside space. Gloucester services on the M5 - run by Westmorland - again came out on top with 85 per cent, with one customer describing it as 'head and shoulders above all the others I've used'. Which? said its Cairn Lodge site scored well in all categories except for prices. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The worst rated site, Moto Bridgwater, also on the M5, scored only 23 per cent for its inadequate parking, and cramped and overpriced facilities that 'look and feel filthy'. In Scotland, the other four service stations on the M74 and A74(M) between Glasgow and the Border received middling scores - 56 per cent for Roadchef at Annandale Water, 53 per cent for Welcome Break at Gretna and 46 per cent for the operator's Abington site. Worst was Roadchef's Hamilton site with 38 per cent. Scotland's two other motorway service areas received poor ratings - 40 per cent for Moto's at Stirling on the M80 and 36 per cent for its Kinross site on the M90. Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: 'Many services are not up to scratch. Poor facilities and extortionate prices for food and drink were widespread complaints, but most shocking of all was how drivers told us just how many services were unclean. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'To avoid disappointment, people should plan their route to avoid the worst service stations and look for alternative places to stop.' Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "It seems plenty of operators are making a right meal of trying to provide decent facilities. "Drivers should be taking breaks not just for their own comfort but in the interests of safety to help fight fatigue. 'Anything that discourages them from stopping and encourages them to drive on to find clean service areas with reasonably priced fuel and food is worrying.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jack Cousens, the AA's head of roads policy, said: 'Drivers could be forgiven for feeling held to ransom over the cost of fuel and food when they are readily available at a fraction of the cost a short distance away from the motorway.' Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan said: 'We are committed to reviewing the specific issues raised by the Which? panel and will continue to strive for enhancements across all sites.
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Taco Bell surprises fans with first-ever restaurant in new market
If there's one thing no other country does better than the U.S., it's fast food. Americans have created some of the most renowned fast-food chains worldwide, including McDonald's (MCD) , Burger King (QSR) , and Subway, to name a few. Although many of these fast-food giants have had their ups and downs throughout the years, millions of people worldwide continue to consume their food daily. However, one chain continues to exceed expectations, despite facing adversity. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Despite an unpredictable economy, evolving food trends, and the slowdown in consumer spending, Taco Bell has become one of the most lucrative chains of its parent company, Yum! Brands (YUM) . Related: McDonald's menu adds experimental new items fans will love It prioritizes innovation by constantly developing and launching new menu items, helping it to experiment and stay relevant among consumers. It also maintains insanely low prices and great value-focused deals, a huge selling point for today's consumer. Taco Bell has over 8,700 restaurants across 32 countries, but there's a specific one it has yet to tackle. Taco Bell has partnered with Applegreen APGN, a major petrol retailer, to open its first-ever restaurant in Ireland this summer, expanding the fast-food chain's brand to a new territory. "This partnership underscores our commitment to bringing world-class roadside hospitality to our customers, offering them greater choice and quality while they travel," said Applegreen Ireland Managing Director Seamus Stapleton in a statement. "We are constantly investing in our locations, and I'm sure Irish consumers will be very excited at the arrival of Taco Bell." Related: Another fast-food burger chain is quietly closing locations The exact location of Ireland's first Taco Bell has yet to be revealed, but it will be unveiled soon, since summer is only a few weeks away. But that's not all, because more locations are expected to open over the next few years. Applegreen announced last November it would invest €1 billion in a five-year expansion program to grow its business across Ireland, the UK, and the U.S. by revamping existing sites and building new locations. This is not the first time Taco Bell and Applegreen have joined forces to expand the fast-food chain's brand. Although Taco Bell has been in the UK since 2010, it was able to open more restaurants by partnering with Applegreen. This partnership brought the fast-food chain's brand to many of its Welcome Break motorway service areas, helping it reach over 140 locations. More Retail News: McDonald's announcement unveils a huge summer strategyWhen you'll see empty retail store shelves due to tariffsPopular pizza chain closed dozens of restaurants globally In addition to its more than 430 locations across the UK and the U.S., Applegreen has nearly 200 service stations in Ireland, each being a potential new location for Taco Bell restaurants. The Irish community will soon indulge in Taco Bell's delicious tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas. If it all goes according to plan, this could be an excellent opportunity for the brand to grow globally and boost overall sales. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Irish Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Ireland's first Taco Bell restaurant set to open this summer
TACO BELL, the popular US fast food restaurant with a Mexican-inspired menu, is to open in Ireland for the first time this year. The chain was founded in the US in 1962 and currently has more than 8.700 outlets across the world, including in Britain, Spain and Finland. However, Irish customers will finally be able to get their hands on the brand's tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos when the first Irish outlet opens this summer. Irish forecourt retailer Applegreen, which recently opened Taco Bell outlets at several of its Welcome Break motorway service areas in Britain, has revealed it is bringing the 'iconic' brand to the Emerald Isle. "We are really excited to announce this partnership to launch the iconic Taco Bell brand in Ireland," said Seamus Stapleton, Managing Director of Applegreen in Ireland. "This partnership underscores our commitment to bringing world-class roadside hospitality to our customers, offering them greater choice and quality while they travel. "We are constantly investing in our locations, and I'm sure Irish consumers will be very excited at the arrival of Taco Bell." 'Unique offering' Applegreen plans to open a number of Taco Bell outlets at its Irish locations over the next five years as part of a €1bn expansion programme. The company, founded in 1992 with a service station in Ballyfermot, plans to grow its business in Ireland, Britain and the US as it redevelops existing sites and adds new locations in each market. Matthew Johnson, New Market Lead for Taco Bell Europe, said he believes the restaurants will prove popular with Irish customers. "We are thrilled to bring Taco Bell's innovative and flavourful menu to Ireland," he said. "This expansion is a testament to our commitment to growing our brand globally and delivering exceptional dining experiences to new markets. "We believe that our unique offering will resonate with consumers in Ireland, providing a new and exciting dining option that celebrates bold flavours and a fun, vibrant atmosphere." In its recent first quarter results, Taco Bell owner Yum! Brands revealed that Taco Bell International system sales grew 8 per cent on 2024, with same-store sales up 3 per cent. See More: Applegreen, Taco Bell
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Legendary US fast food chain to open first restaurant in Ireland THIS summer & five year plan promise for more locations
A LEGENDARY US fast food chain is set to open its first restaurant in Ireland this summer - and there's a five year plan for more locations. 3 Taco Bell will open in Ireland over the next few months Credit: Getty 3 And it will be coming to Applegreen this summer Credit: Alamy Live News Taco Bell is a hugely popular Mexican style fast-food chain, featuring items like tacos, burritos and the Crunchwrap Supreme. And they are now coming to an Applegreen in Ireland this This launch is part of a new partnership between Applegreen and Taco Bell, marking a major move in the chains expansion in Applegreen's Managing Director for the Republic of Ireland, Seamus Stapleton, said the company is delighted to introduce Taco Bell to Irish consumers. READ MORE IN MONEY He said: 'We are really excited to announce this partnership to launch the iconic Taco Bell brand in Ireland. "This partnership underscores our commitment to bringing world-class roadside hospitality to our customers, offering them greater choice and quality while they travel. "We are constantly investing in our locations, and I'm sure Irish consumers will be very excited at the arrival of Taco Bell.' And the plan doesn't stop at just one location. Most read in Money More Taco Bell restaurants are expected to open across Ireland over the next five years, supported by Applegreen's €1 billion New Market Lead for Taco Bell Europe Matthew Johnson said the company believes its distinctive goods will connect well with Irish foodies. Taco Bell unveils its next-generation drive-thru with a major change to how you get your orders He said: "This expansion is a testament to our commitment to growing our brand globally and delivering exceptional dining experiences to new markets. "We believe that our unique offering will resonate with consumers in Ireland, providing a new and exciting dining option that celebrates bold flavours and a fun, vibrant atmosphere.' The move into Ireland is part of a larger plan by the The company is aiming to reach 3,000 restaurants across more than 50 countries by the end of 2030. WORLDWIDE Taco Bell already operates more than 8,700 restaurants globally, and has recently expanded into UK motorway service stations through its partnership with Applegreen's Welcome Break. What's more, Wendy's is set to open up Corrib Oil Service Station has reached an agreement with the legendary fast-food chain to become its franchise partner in Ireland. And the initial site locations across the country are set to be announced later this year. It will include standalone President International of Wendy's Company, EJ Wunsch, has said that Ireland is a great market for the fast-food chain's long-term growth. He said: "With a proven track record of outstanding operations and a significant growth history, we are confident that Corrib Oil is the right partner to drive Wendy's expansion in Ireland." 3 The fast food chain is a Mexican-inspired restaurant Credit: Taco Bell
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Applegreen agrees deal to bring Taco Bell to Ireland
Applegreen has announced that it is planning to launch the first Taco Bell fast food restaurants in Ireland across a number of its locations following a new partnership agreement with the US-based company. The company said the first Taco Bell will open this summer but the exact location has yet to be announced. It plans to open a number of other outlets over the next five years. Seamus Stapleton, managing director of Applegreen's Republic of Ireland business, said this partnership 'underscores our commitment to bringing world-class roadside hospitality to our customers, offering them greater choice and quality while they travel'. 'We are constantly investing in our locations, and I'm sure Irish consumers will be very excited at the arrival of Taco Bell.' Taco Bell is based in Irvine, California and has over 8,700 restaurants worldwide. Matthew Johnson, new market Lead for Taco Bell Europe said "this expansion is a testament to our commitment to growing our brand globally and delivering exceptional dining experiences to new markets.' Applegreen has also recently introduced Taco Bell restaurants at several of its Welcome Break motorway service areas in the UK. Applgreen's decision to bring Taco Bell to Ireland comes following an announcement in February that Corrib Oil, one of Ireland's leading service station and energy distribution providers, reached an agreement with the US fast food chain Wendy's to become its franchise partner in Ireland. The agreement will see ten Wendy's quick-service restaurants opened by 2027. Corrib said that as part of the first phase of the agreement, the ten restaurants will open across the country over the 2025 to 2027 period.
