Northern Ireland's celebrity TV chef, Paul Rankin, is recruiting key staff as part of the expansion of his two restaurant chains into new markets in Dublin and England.
|
 |
|
Rankin: expanding
into Dublin and major
cities in Britain. |
His company is also considering the launch of a new restaurant brand which has yet to be finalised. The Paul Rankin Group currently runs two Rain City Caf‚ Grill restaurants, which are American West Coast-style diners, and six Caf‚ Paul Rankin venues.
Most are located in Belfast, with one caf‚ in Portadown in County Armagh and two restaurants (one of each brand) in the Junction One factory outlet which opened in Antrim at the end of May.
Marketing executive Chris Love said that initial plans involved opening one outlet of each brand in Dublin later this year and more of both brands in London next year, before spreading to other major UK cities.
"We have just started expanding outside of Belfast, and Dublin and England are the next obvious ports of call," said Love.
He added that more restaurants were planned for the Belfast suburbs later this year.
Rankin, who trained with Albert Roux, was the first restaurateur in Ireland to win a Michelin star, for his Roscoff restaurant, which he opened in Belfast in 1989. Roscoff was replaced in 1999 by the flagship Eastern-influenced Cayenne restaurant, which is more informal and holds a Bib Gourmand.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 24 June 2004