Supermac’s will close all Irish stores from Thursday, 26 March

Supermac's outlets across Ireland will close from Thursday, 26 March.

The temporary closure of the Irish fast food chain follows recent announcements from Subway, McDonald's and Starbucks, all of whom have said they will shut this week as the Covid-19 crisis escalates. Krispy Kreme, Costa Coffee and Nando's are also due to shut down their Irish and UK locations this week. Sitting in for food in Supermac's ends this evening but takeaway services will continue until Thursday, as the chain has been offering free food for emergency service workers since the coronavirus outbreak started.

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— Supermac's (@SupermacsIRE) March 23, 2020

In a statement, Supermac's said it was taking this decision "due to the ever changing challenges presented by the health crisis". The fast food giant also took the opportunity to thank staff and customers for their efforts and wish emergency services well at such a difficult time. A similar statement was released by McDonald's yesterday evening.

"This is not a decision we are taking lightly but one made with the well-being and safety of our employees in mind as well as the best interests of our customers. "We will work with local community groups to responsibly distribute food and drink from our restaurants in the coming days". "Thank you to our brilliant employees for their hard work during this incredibly challenging time. We look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it is safe to reopen."