Business Person of the Month December 2019: Pat McDonagh, Founder of Supermac's
Business Person of the Month | Tue 31 Dec | Author – Business & Finance
Galway native Pat McDonagh is founder and owner of Supermac's, Ireland's largest indigenous fast food restaurant group.
Pat McDonagh, the man behind Ireland's largest indigenous fast food chain, earned the nickname Supermac during his Gaelic football-playing days. With a hugely successful business built up, he has gone on to put millions into sports sponsorship, with Galway Hurling Teams, Connacht Rugby, Galway Camogie Teams, the Irish Rowing Squad, Galway Football and Galway Ladies Football just some of those who have benefitted from his generosity and love of sport.
Pat McDonagh pictured with the Carmelite College Football Team, where he earned the nickname 'Supermac'.
Pat McDonagh first identified an opportunity in the locality for a fast food offering while teaching in Kilrickle in Co.Galway and the first Supermac's opened its door in 1978 on Main Street, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
The franchise has since expanded to over 100 outlets all over Ireland, with his group of businesses now employing 4,000 staff (of which 1,720 are directly employed by Supermac's Holdings Ltd) . Other business ventures in the food service industry include Claddagh Irish Pubs, a casual Irish pub-themed chain in the United States, founded in 2001; the franchise rights for Papa John's Pizza in Ireland, which Mr McDonagh bought in 2006; and SuperSubs salad and sandwich bars established in 2014.
Supermac's portfolio includes motorway service stations and the Papa John's pizza brand.
Some of these brands are to be found in the food service offering at his portfolio of motorway service stations across Ireland – Barack Obama Plaza (off the M7 at Moneygall), Tipperary Town Plaza, Mallow N20 Plaza, The Galway Plaza Junction 16 and the Charlestown Service Station in Co Mayo.
His property portfolio includes The Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise; the Charleville Park Hotel, Cork; Loughrea Hotel & Spa, Galway and the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick.
The latest set of accounts for Supermac's Holdings Limited, released in December 2019, showed Supermac's recorded profits of €23.7 million, with sales jumping to €172 million on the back of new openings. Full year revenue for 2018 increased more than 9 per cent from €157.4 million in 2017, while profit before tax, rose 8.7 per cent from €21.8 million the previous year.
Business & Finance, Business Person of the Month
Business & Finance, in association with KPMG, rewards excellence in business through the 'Business Person of the Month' award. This award seeks to recognise noteworthy achievements in business leadership, and, particularly, those that make a telling contribution to the wider business community in Ireland.
May 2017: Fergal Leamy, Chief Executive, Coillte
November 2009: Patrick Kennedy, CEO, Paddy Power
Topics: business person of the month, KPMG, Pat McDonagh, Supermac's