Supermac's
Encyclopedia
Supermac's is an Irish
owned fast food restaurant chain with restaurants located across the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
.
, Ireland
. It was founded by former school teacher Pat McDonagh
after he failed to get planning permission for a pool hall in the same town.
Supermac's 2010 turnover was €58.8m. The company has over 2,500 employees in 103 branches (as of April 2011). Today it serves an average of over 320,000 customers a week.
Supermac's is Ireland's largest indigenous fast-food chain with a large percentage of the outlets franchised. Many hold the same format of a two story store, with plastic
seating and the serving counter downstairs and more seating upstairs, sometimes with a children's play area. The outlet's opening hours generally range from from mid morning to the post-pub closing rush.
As well as the standard 'Family Restaurant' format, there is also another format called 'Supermac's Fresh Express'. The 'Fresh Express' format is often found in convenience store
s or petrol stations.
Supermac's state that they have a policy of actively supporting quality Irish food suppliers. They state that their beef supplies are 100% Irish, are traceable to the farm of origin, are produced exclusively from two choice cuts of pure beef, and are produced to world class best practices.
In attempting to cultivate a healthier image like other fast food franchisers have recently, Supermac's has added several new products such as a chicken ciabatta
and a chicken tortilla
wrap. They have also integrated with "Relish Cafe" or Subway
in some of their larger outlets.
In April 2011, Supermac's published nutritional information for their products after being asked by RTÉ television show Operation Transformation.
team.
McDonagh believes that it is important to change the image to reflect Ireland, as the country becomes more urban and in many people's eyes more sophisticated. This new overhaul is an attempt to bring a certain homogeny to stores as an attempt to repeat the dining experience and bring a more homely feel. McDonagh has a vision of expanding the company beyond its natural base of the west of Ireland. He desires to keep good staff and reduce staff turnover in the company, rather than having a transient workforce.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
owned fast food restaurant chain with restaurants located across the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
History
The first Supermac's opened its doors in 1978 in Main Street, Ballinasloe, County GalwayCounty Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It was founded by former school teacher Pat McDonagh
Pat McDonagh
Patrick "Pat" McDonagh is the founder of Supermac's - a major Irish fast food franchiser. A former school teacher, he is now a multi-millionaire...
after he failed to get planning permission for a pool hall in the same town.
Supermac's 2010 turnover was €58.8m. The company has over 2,500 employees in 103 branches (as of April 2011). Today it serves an average of over 320,000 customers a week.
Restaurants
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
seating and the serving counter downstairs and more seating upstairs, sometimes with a children's play area. The outlet's opening hours generally range from from mid morning to the post-pub closing rush.
As well as the standard 'Family Restaurant' format, there is also another format called 'Supermac's Fresh Express'. The 'Fresh Express' format is often found in convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s or petrol stations.
Food
Like many fast food franchisers, Supermac's offers a broad range of foods including fries, burgers, chicken, pizza, fish and ice cream.Supermac's state that they have a policy of actively supporting quality Irish food suppliers. They state that their beef supplies are 100% Irish, are traceable to the farm of origin, are produced exclusively from two choice cuts of pure beef, and are produced to world class best practices.
In attempting to cultivate a healthier image like other fast food franchisers have recently, Supermac's has added several new products such as a chicken ciabatta
Ciabatta
Ciabatta is an Italian white bread made with wheat flour and yeast. The loaf is somewhat elongated, broad and flattish. There are many variations of ciabatta.Ciabatta in its modern form was developed in 1982...
and a chicken tortilla
Tortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
wrap. They have also integrated with "Relish Cafe" or Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
in some of their larger outlets.
In April 2011, Supermac's published nutritional information for their products after being asked by RTÉ television show Operation Transformation.
Cod burger
Supermac's sells a unique 'cod burger' made with deep fried cod, which has been discontinued in some restaurants due to poor sales.Media/press relations
Supermac's invests heavily in sponsorship, currently sponsoring over 400 different events, teams and projects - including the Galway hurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team.
Controversy
In 2010, a number of protests were held outside Supermac's outlets over efforts of the Quick Service Food Alliance (QSFA) to lobby for a €1 reduction in the pay of minimum-wage workers at the restaurant. Director of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) Siobhán O'Donoghue stated that "The restaurant industry is driving an agenda that is bad for low wage workers and bad for Ireland. This challenge is not about saving jobs. It is about cutting workers' wages and increasing profits." As of the end of April 2011, this issue is still awaiting a decision in the High CourtReinvention
Recently, Pat McDonagh has decided to reinvent and revitalise the image of Supermacs in order to portray a more contemporary image. At the same time, he desires to maintain its sense of 'Irishness'.McDonagh believes that it is important to change the image to reflect Ireland, as the country becomes more urban and in many people's eyes more sophisticated. This new overhaul is an attempt to bring a certain homogeny to stores as an attempt to repeat the dining experience and bring a more homely feel. McDonagh has a vision of expanding the company beyond its natural base of the west of Ireland. He desires to keep good staff and reduce staff turnover in the company, rather than having a transient workforce.