Upmarket cafe-bakery chain, Patisserie Valerie is to open its first two stores in Belfast this year, as part of a plan to reach at least 300 stores nationwide.
The chain, which has around 90 outlets across Britain and is valued at £320m, will make its Northern Ireland debut in August or September in Donegall Square, with a second unit set top open before the end of the year.
Launched in 1926 by Belgian Madam Valerie in London's Soho, the brand has expanded to 11 bakeries in recent years. It was acquired in 2006 for £6m by ex-Pizza Express chairman Luke Johnson, who has driven the expansion of outlets to 89.