As part of a marked effort to expand throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, Subway [5] announces that it will open eight new restaurants there during the months of December and January. According to Paul Heyes, development agent for Subway in the UK, "The key issue to our growth is our expansion into the north of England and Scotland. We are breaking out of our previous home ground of London and the south."

Restaurant openings in Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Newcastle, Belfast, Galway and Edinburgh and the recent appointment of Blair Ivens as Subway's new European Regional Manager are indicative of the chains international growth initiatives. "This will give Subway a compelling national profile and make us a more attractive proposition with potential franchisees throughout the UK and Ireland," continues Heyes.

Subway opened it first international location in the middle eastern nation of Bahrain in 1984 and entered the British Isles in 1995. The chain now boasts 44 restaurants located throughout England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland.