Major Re-Vamp for Ballyconnell Gala

Celebrating a Brand New Look

Husband and wife team Garry and Samantha Smith celebrate their fantastic new look at their Gala Retail, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan.

Located on the outskirts of the busy industrial town of Ballyconnell in County Cavan, the Gala Retail store and Applegreen forecourt have thrived from the constant stream of passing custom – so it was time to undertake a major investment, to create they type of upgraded, high-end experience that customers increasingly expect.

Garry Smith takes IF&CR through the changes.

Massive difference

“It’s made a massive difference” said Garry. “We’ve re-vamped the whole shop to create a completely new image. There’s new floors, new ceilings, deli, ice cream and open-plan kitchen with all new equipment.”

Garry & Sam have owned and operated the Gala Retail store and forecourt for 15 years now – and had been planning the upgrade for some time.

Major investment

“It’s been a major investment – around a quarter million, but I’m glad to say it’s really paying off. Customer reaction and feedback has been extremely positive.

“The fresh food offering is going down particularly well. Customers know everything is cooked from scratch using fresh produce – whether that’s chips, stews, pies and so on. The kitchen in-store is open plan so customers can see into it, and we have a great chef!”

Ballyconnell is an important industrial and tourist area. Located close to the Fermanagh/Cavan border, the economy is mainly agricultural, but it also has a large cement factory, a plastics factory and an animal feeds plant nearby. Tourism is an important part of the town’s economy with cabin cruisers even use the area as a stopping place when navigating the Shannon-Erne Waterway – and of course the Slieve Russell hotel is nearby.

High demand

“There’s high demand for our freshly made lunches, dinners, ice-cream and Costa coffee.

Gala’s main instore features are the Deli, Baker’s Corner, Galato (ice cream), Distill (alcohol) and Costa Coffee Junction – and of course, the hot food offering and kitchen.

Next Big Step

After 15 years, Garry was ready for the next big step. The re-vamp started in July and remained open throughout.

“Gala were brilliant to work with – the team is so professional and their approach really suits me. They are happy to work with you, to discuss everything and move with you – they are as passionate about food as we are.

“When work started, it all happened very fast – it was unreal. I had always wanted to undertake a large investment project – but 15 years ago when we started up, it took time to get established and build the business up. Gala have been with us the whole way, and are always happy to help.

“We’re also very lucky to have a fantastic team in-store. Our chef is amazing, and the Gala Regional Manager David Mayne has been unbelievable.”

New look

The new look store brings the whole forecourt and service offering up several notches. The Applegreen forecourt has plenty of parking and an overnight truck stop – with great forecourt facilities available.

“In some ways it’s a dream come true – we are all absolutely delighted with the outcome. The investment has been well worth it, but we couldn’t have got there without the highly professional people at Gala, who were with us every step of the way.”