LONDON-based Mexican restaurant chain Tortilla has been granted planning permission to open its first restaurant in Northern Ireland.
Belfast City Council has signed off on the proposal by the FTSE-listed Tortilla Mexican Grill to redevelop a shop unit in Belfast’s Arthur Square.
The restaurant group’s bid centres on the listed Mayfair Building, located between the Victoria Square shopping complex and Cornmarket.
The ground floor unit has recently used by Google and shoe retailer Hotter. But has been vacant since October 2020.
It’s understood Tortilla is planning a takeaway restaurant with 50 covers on the ground floor, creating around 20 jobs.
Originally set up in London in 2007 by two Californian natives, Tortilla is best known for its fast-casual Californian-style burritos and tacos.
It currently has around 67 restaurants in Britain along with 8 outlets across Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
The company went public in September 2021 and now has a market capitalisation of around £35 million.
Earlier this month, Tortilla Mexican Grill told investors it is facing a full-year hit of more than £2 million from soaring protein and energy costs.
