Lidl Opens First Pub in Northern Ireland

The pub is now open to the public, as reported by the British news agency PA on Thursday. The pub’s name is a play on “middle aisle,” which in the UK refers to the miscellaneous goods shelves in the middle of discount supermarkets.

The pub is integrated into the supermarket building but has its own entrance. The decor is rather understated and features the colors of the Lidl logo: yellow, blue, and red. It remains to be seen whether the discount store’s charm will catch on with Northern Irish patrons. However, the pub is said to have created at least eight jobs, PA reported.

Licensing Chaos Led to a Pub

Pragmatic reasons lie behind the opening of the first Lidl pub. The idea arose due to strict Northern Irish laws governing the sale of alcohol in supermarkets. In that part of the country, stores that want to sell alcohol must obtain a license, and only a limited number of these are issued. In addition, they must prove that there are not enough licensed establishments in an area to meet public demand.

Lidl could not demonstrate public demand to obtain a regular license—but it could do so for a pub, since, according to reports, two nearby bars had closed in recent years. With its legal classification as a restaurant, a so-called “off-sales zone”—that is, alcohol shelves—is also permitted. However, given these unusual circumstances, it is unlikely that more Lidl pubs will open.

As food prices rise, discounters like Aldi and Lidl are increasingly competing with established supermarkets in the UK. Lidl plans to open more than 50 new stores in the UK in the coming months, the company announced. According to the announcement, the chain is investing more than 600 million pounds (638 million Swiss francs) in the expansion of its stores.