marketing

Ireland is an island country located in Western Europe. With a population of 5 million and continued growth inevitable, Ireland is quickly becoming a promising prospect for U.S. companies looking to invest internationally. One of the most compelling aspects of Ireland is the food. Known for their hearty stews, Shepherd’s pie, delicious seafood and soda bread as well as their famous whiskey and Guinness, it is easy to see why penetrating the culinary market might be a good move for an international investor.

Despite being known for their great food and high-quality ingredients, Ireland is not known for having very good Mexican cuisine. Any American tourist or expatriate will say that, despite there being certain Mexican restaurants or chains available in Dublin, the Irish have no idea what good-quality Mexican food tastes like. America has the perfect solution to offer.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a fast-casual, fresh Mexican food restaurant chain in the United States. Chipotle is known for their fresh ingredients and high-quality Mexican food. Their menu consists of burritos, tacos, bowls and salads. Chipotle is currently the most active in the US but also operate abroad in Canada, England, France and Germany.

Founded in 1993 by Steve Ells in Denver, Colorado, Chipotle quickly grew to 16 restaurants by 1998 when McDonald’s Corporation invested. By the time McDonald’s fully divested from the company in 2006, Chipotle had grown to over 500 locations in the US. By October 2014, Chipotle had 17 locations outside of the US and was continuing to expand. By 2015, Chipotle had more than 2,000 locations. There are currently 2,408 active locations worldwide.

Chipotle’s US competitors include:

· Qdoba Mexican Grill

· Moe’s Southwest Grill

· Rubio’s Coastal Grill

· Baja Fresh

Dublin, Ireland currently boasts two restaurant chains that would qualify as competitors for Chipotle if it came to Ireland, and they are called “Boojum” and “Tolteca Mexican Style Grill.” Dubliners have dubbed these chains the “Chipotles of Ireland,” but many American expatriates living in Dublin still claim that these chains cannot truly compare to Chipotle in terms of quality.

Now, Chipotle has an opportunity to expand into Ireland, and it makes sense geographically considering they are already currently operating many restaurants in the United Kingdom. Opening up a Chipotle in Dublin would allow Chipotle to penetrate the Irish market while also providing high-quality Mexican food and meeting a culinary need.

· Celtic tribes arrived between 600 and 150 BC

· Invaded by Norsemen in the late 8th century - ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014

· Norman invasions began in the 12th c and set off more than 7 cs of Anglo-Irish struggle - repressions and rebellions

· Potato famine in mid-19th century responsible for a drop in population by > 25% through starvation, disease and emigration

· Population continued to fall until it began to grow again in the 1960s

· One of the youngest populations in the EU

· Modern state traces origins to the failed 1916 Easter Monday Uprising that happened and resulted in independence from UK in 1921

· Deep sectarian divides between Catholic and Protestant - Northern Ireland years of violence known as the "Troubles"

· Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998 initiated new phase of cooperation between Irish and British

· Neutral in WWII and continues policy of military neutrality

· Joined the European community in 1973 and euro-zone currency union in 1999

· Economic boom  years of the Celtic Tiger (1995-2007) saw rapid economic growth, which came to an abrupt end during the 2008 meltdown

· Economy is still recovering

· Population as of July 2017 approximately 5 million

Climate

Topography

· Island - 1,448 km of coastline

· Mostly flat to rolling interior plains surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains

· Sea cliffs on west coast (Cliffs of Moher)

· 10.9% forest, 15.4% arable land, 50.7% permanent pasture, agricultural land 66.1%

· Plays a major role in Irish day-to-day lives

· Since the foundation of the state, the "family" has occupied a core position in policy & public debates about common good and national identity formation

· Family afforded privileged mention and protection in the Irish Constitution of 1937

· State promises to "protect the Family" and recognizes it as having "inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and superior to all positive law."

· Still at the center of social and political debate in the 21st century

· Interest groups argue for the preservation of what they view as the "ideal form of marriage and family" while others welcome and promote the emergence of more diverse and alternative family forms

· Divorce not legalized until 1995 (narrowly)

· Reproductive rights remains a contentious issue in Ireland after a clause inserted in the constitution in 1983 to protect the right to life of the "unborn"

· At the same time... by the 21st-century, Ireland had relatively high non-marital birth rate compared with other European countries

· For much of the 20th century, Ireland was considered a demographic outlier in Europe and the situation was distinctive

· Late age of marriage

· High rate of non-marriage 

· High marital fertility rate resulting in distinctly large families

· Censorship for sexual and intimate matters and social control (harsh treatment for women who had children outside of wedlock) was another dominant feature

· Started modernizing in 1960s

· Legalized same-sex marriage in 2015

· Largest proportion of households today are made up of couple households with children, with single adults with no children second

· Much higher % of children living in lone parent households than in much of the rest of Europe

· Most individuals are still socialized within traditional nuclear family units and develop their identities, sense of self and understanding of life primarily in terms of what happened within their family

· Ontological sense of self is developed and maintained in terms of relations with parents and siblings

· Most Irish people are bound to their family - considered the center of intimate personal relations through which people create and sustain meaning

· Children live with parents until they either leave for university, move in with their partner, or once they have become financially independent (18-19)

· Continues to be an essential part of Irish society

· In the past, extended families would live near one another

· This is becoming less common due to ongoing impacts of urbanization

· Family remains fundamentally important to the individual

· Unique personal relationships that family members share and the support they receive from one another is highly valued

· Family patterns today are converging closely to European trends in some arenas (non-marital births, crude marriage rate) but maintaining a distinctive trend in others (low divorce rate, high fertility rate)

· Tension between traditional values and modernity in Irish family life and in intimate relationship more generally understood

· Parental roles

· Marriage & courtship

· Traditional family structure of husband, wife and children is the norm

· Growing acceptance of other living arrangements - many alternative households (single-parent, couples without children, LGBTQI+ couples with children)

· Growing tolerance within Ireland toward choices in family structure

· Gender remains an unrecognized but crucially important framework in shaping young people's lives

· Ideals within Catholicism emphasized traditional role of the mother and the dominating beliefs about women in Irish culture

· This is changing - gender stereotypes are no longer as strong as they once were in determining a person's role or duty in the family

· High cost of living has made it common for both members in a couple to work

· Gender equality more common in urban areas

· Rural areas are more conservative and maintain traditional views regarding household and gender roles

· Women often stay home to care for children and household

· Married women have a considerably low participation rate in the labor force compared to other European countries

· 1937: Women given very specific familial role in the State's legal framework - Constitution still states that "woman by her life within the home gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved."

· By early 1980s, women with young children were participating in the labor force in rapidly increasing #s, homosexuality was decriminalized, cohabitation was in evidence alongside conventional marriage, contraception was legalized and accessible, and martial separation legislation had been introduced

· Education is compulsory for children in Ireland from 6-16 or until students have completed 3 years of second-level education

· Education system is made up of primary, second, third-level and further education

· State-funded education is available at all levels, unless you choose to send your child to a private institution

· Usually provided by privately funded childcare facilities or providers

· Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides a free year of early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age

· Some pre-school initiatives are focused on at risk children and are funded by the Department of Education and Skills

· Children do not have to attend school until the age of 6, but it is usual for children to begin school the September following their fourth birthday

· 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are enrolled in the junior or senior infant classes

· Curriculum follows these areas:

· Language, math, social skills, environment and scientific education, arts education including visual arts music and drama, physical integration, social personal and health education

· Generally privately owned by religious communities (or boards of governors) but are State-funded

· Goes from Junior infants (4 years) - Sixth Class (age 11/12)

· Provided by different types of post-primary schools, such as:

· Secondary, vocational, community and comprehensive schools

· Secondary schools are privately owned and managed - in most cases, the trustees are religious communities or boards of governors

· Vocational schools are established by he State and administered by vocational education committees

· Community & Comprehensive schools are managed by boards of management of differing compositions

· Consists of a 3-year junior cycle (age 12 to 14) followed by a 2-year or 3-year senior cycle depending on whether an optional transition year is taken following the Junior Certificate Exam

· Transition year follows the Junior Certificate Examination

· One-year school-based program between Junior and Senior Cycle

· Designed to act as a bridge between the two by facilitating the smooth transition from the more dependent learning of the Junior Cycle (middle school) to the more independent self-directed learning required for the Senior Cycle

· Areas of study include: Environmental studies, English, math, gaelic, PE, psychology, work experience, mental health matters

· During the final two years in the Senior Cycle, students take one of 3 programs, each leading to a State Examination

· Established Leaving Certificate, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Program or the Leaving Certificate Applied

· University Sector, Technological sector and the Colleges of Education are substantially funded by the State

· # of independent private colleges

· 7 Universities, which are autonomous and self-governing - they offer degree programs at bachelor, masters and doctorate level

· Technological sector includes institutes of technology which provide programs of education and training in areas such as business, science, engineering, linguistics, and music to certificate, diploma and degree levels

· Colleges of Education specialize in training for first-level teachers - offer a 3-year bachelor of education degree and a postgraduate diploma

· Training of second-level teachers usually involves completing a primary degree in university or other third-level institution followed by a one-year higher diploma in education

· 1 in 6 Irish adults has difficult understanding basic written text

· 1 in 4 find it difficult to do simple math

· Adults aged 25-34 have the highest literacy mean score in Ireland while adults aged 55 - 65 have the lowest mean score

· 17.9% of Irish adults are at or below Level 1 on the literacy scale - this compares with 22% at or below level 1 in the last International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) results in 1997

· Ireland is a parliamentary democracy

· National Parliament ( President & Two Houses ) whose functions and powers come from the Constitution 

· President has absolute discretion in certain matters - referring a Bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment on its constitutionality

· President elected every 7 years

· Method of election to each House is different 

· Senate is an advisory body 

· Some are appointed, some are elected by the universities and some are elected from vocational panels

· Has the power to delay legislative proposals and is allowed 90 days to consider and amend bills

· House of Representatives directly elected by the people at least once every 5 years - 166 members

· The House is the dominant branch, meaning that most proposals passed by the House of Representatives will ultimately become law

· Since the 1990s, there have been coalition governments

· Two and a half party system, with two large catch all parties dominating

· This changed after the 2011 Irish General Election, following the large drop in support for the republican party (Fianna Fail)

· Current largest party is Fine Gael, which has its origins in the pro-treaty movement of Michael Collins in the Irish Civil War

· Party of law and order - associated with strong belief in pro-enterprise and reward

· Christian democratic, economically liberal party along European lines, with a strongly pro-European outlook

· Generally associated with a liberal outlook

· Fianna Fail, traditionally Irish republican party, founded in 1927, is second largets and considered center-right

· First formed in a government on the basis of a populist program of land redistribution and national preference in trade and republican populism remains a key part of its appeal

· Sinn Fein, established in 1970, played a huge role in the Irish War of Independence and the First Dail

· Current-day party has been historically linked to the Provisional IRA - Republican party which takes a more left wing stance on economics and social policy than the Labour Party

· Fourth largest is the Labour Party (center-left)

· Links with the trade union movement and have governed in 7 coalition governments

· Number of other parties

· The government in Ireland is quite stable

· Three branches of government that interact 

 Ireland is a member of the EU - member states participate in common institutions so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made at the European level

 Economically "free" with an economic freedom score of 80.4, making its economy the 6th freest in the 2018 Index

 Deficit-reduction measures and banking-related debt refinancing have stimulated economic recovery since the 2008 meltdown

 Low corporate taxes and high-technology labor pool attract foreign multinationals

· Income Tax & Capital Gains on chargeable income and gains

· Taxes Consolidation Act of 1997 (governing legislation) and supplemented in the annual Finance Act

· Gift and inheritance tax regime in force

· Pay as You Earn (PAYE) applies to all Irish-sourced employment income and is calculated at progressive rates

· Universal Social Charge (USC) is a tax payable on gross income from all sources after tax relief for capital allowances but before tax relief for pension contributions

· Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) is a payroll tax, which funds various benefits for employees, including uneployment assitance and certain medical benefits

· Rental income (treated in a similar way to your normal income from work and taxed at same rates)

· Stamp Duty (Transfer tax) - used on commercial and non-commercial properties

· Property Tax

· Capital Gains

· Value Added Tax (VAT) / Sales Taxes

· 23% on the supply of most goods and services in the course of business

· Most exports, food, oral medicine, and childrens clothing and footwear are zero-rates

· Corporation Tax

· Local governments also have systems run at the county and district level

· Local elections are held every 5 years in the month of May or June - Councillors are elected to represent the community

· Elected council is the policy-making arm of the local government

· Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member state of the EU

· Head of State is the President (elected by popular vote), but it is a ceremonial position with real political power being vested in the indirectly elected prime minister

· Executive power exercised by the government, which consists of 15 cabinet ministers

· Legislative power vested in the bicameral national parliament (Oireachtas), which consists of Dail Eireann (house), Seanad Eireann (senate) and President

· Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature - head of the judiciary is the Chief Justice who presides over the Supreme Court

· Flag was introduced in 1848, based on French tricolour

· National Anthem is The Soldier's Song - writen in 1907 and became anthem in 1926

· Unofficial anthem is The Fields of Athenry - tells the story of a man who is convicted of stealing food during the Great Famine and transported to Australia

· Pop culture is similar to many other Western countries in terms of TV, movies and popular music and literature

· One aspect that makes it different is pub culture

· Pub refers to a "public house" or a bar

· Issue of over-consumption of alcohol, but pub culture is more then just drinking

· Typically pubs are important meeting places, where people can gather and meet their neighbors and friends in a relaxed atmosphere

· Character of pubs varies widely according to the customers they serve, and the area they are in

· Irish society has traditionally been one of emigration

· More Irish people left Ireland than immigrated to Ireland for hundreds of years

· Notably after the famine and more recently in the 1950s and 1980s

· Economy of Ireland dramatically improved in the 1990s and many people have since immigrated to Ireland

· Greeting people involves shaking hands when you meet for the first time - friends will hug - sometimes kiss on the cheek

· People are relaxed about time

· People will say please and thank you

Work much like they do in the US - based on the more money you have, the more power you have

· Irish 82.2%, Irish travelers 0.7%, other white 9.5%, Asian 2.1%, black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)

· Travellers

· Traditionally itinerant ethnic group who maintain a set of traditions

· Predominantly English-speaking, some also use Shelta and other similar cants

· Live mostly in Ireland as well as large communities in the UK and the US

· Similar to Gypsies - but this theory is disupted and theories of pre-Gaelic origin also exist

· Genetically Irish, with around 10,000 people in the US being descendants of Travellers who left Ireland

· Relationships and family are hugely important to the Irish

· Huge difference between fast-paced Western European countries and Ireland

· Important to bear in mind that family and relationships are as significant as the business itself

· Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement has gathered great momentum in Ireland and is now regarded as one of the most important topics

· Time keeping practices in Ireland differ for foreigners and local associates

· Be sure to arrive on time - being late is impolite and inconsiderate

· It is essential to plan your appointments carefully and to ensure you allocate enough time for transport arrangements

· As a foreign associate, you are expected to give your Irish counterparts the leeway to be late

· Irish are not very time conscious and are not punctual for business or social meetings

· Not more than 15 minutes late usually

· Gift giving is not expected for business purposes

· Best occasion to give is at the successful conclusion of negotiations

· Standard business dress is smart and conservative

· Formal suits work best in most situations

· Dress tends to be less formal than in Western Europe

· Traditional style is represented by tweeds, wools and subdued colors

· Flashy colors and styles are unsuitable

· Corruption does not constitute a significant issue for foreign investors in Ireland

· Minor areas of concern where some issues related to bribery and corruption have been reported

· Predominant religion in the Republic of Ireland is Christianity, with the largest church being the Roman Catholic Church

· State may not endorse any particular religion and guarantees freedom of religion

· 78% of the population identified as Catholic in 2016

· Next largest was "no religion" 10% of the population

· Second largest Christian denomination, the Anglican Church, declined in membership for most of the 20th century, but has more recently experienced an increase, as have other small Christian denominations

· Hindu and Muslim populations have experienced significant growth in recent years, due chiefly to immigration

Arts Council in Ireland exists to support community of visual artists, groups and organizations so that the public "can experience the highest standard of visual arts, in urban and in rural parts of Ireland."

· Many similar music traditions for Western music

· Traditional Irish music includes many kinds of drinking songs, ballads, laments, either unaccompanied or performed with instruments

· Irish stepdance and riverdance performed at parties, organized competitions and at country houses created a bond between musician and dancer

· There are many traveling Irish music / dance shows that perform throughout the country

· Central aspect of Irish folklore is the wealth of traditional beliefs and superstitions which have been held by Irish people over the centuries

· Belief in the fairy folk - many centuries, the Irish were convinced of the existence of magical creatures such as leprechauns and the Banshee

· Magical cures - many bizarre remedies to cure ailments

· Holy wells - belief in the magical healing ability of natural springs dates back to pre-Christian time in Ireland. Celtic people belived springs were sacred places where the underworld met our world 

· Consumption of butter per head of the population is higher in Ireland than almost anywhere else in the world

· 20% of the land is devoted to farming

· Wheat, peas and beans became staple foods in Ireland after the Anglo-Normans arrived

· Potato introduced to Ireland by the late 1500s

· Replaced older staples, including oats and dairy

· Potato Famine destroyed 1/3 of the the potato crop in 1845 and triggered widespread famine

· More than 1 million died as a result of the potato blight, and 2 million emigrated to other countries

· As of 2001, Irish were consuming more potatoes than most countries in the world

· Also accomplished cheese makers

· Soups, seafood, and meats are all important in the Irish diet

· Typical Irish dinner consists of potatoes, cabbage, and meat

· Irish stew has been recognized as the national dish for at least 2 centuries

· Bread is important - soda bread is a national dish

· Common beverages include tea, beer, whiskey and ale

· Flats are converted from older houses and are typically self contained, but some may share facilities such as the laundry or living areas

· Purpose built apartments are usually more expensive but roomier with a better lay out

· Houses are typically 3-4 bedroom and semi-detached. Houses are usually terraced or rowhouse in the city. Free standing are more common in towns and villages

· In 1991, Ireland's rate of homeownership peaked at 80% of households

· By 2011, owner-occupation had fallen to 71% with 19% renting

· This trend is growing as pricing rises and mortgage-holding is declining most among young people in the unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled manual classes

· Affordability affects this

· Most people live in one-family dwellings

· Irish clothing is a blend of old and new, traditional and modern, style and substance

· Aran Sweater is one of Ireland's best-known exports, originally intended to keep the fisherman of the Aran Islands warm and dry

· Made from native sheep wool

· Tweed is a sturdy woolen fabric, usually woven into twill or herringbone patterns - very common in Ireland

· Other than that, very traditional and similar to Western dress

· Similar to Western - from business casual to business professional

· Typically a bit more casual than most other countries

· Types available and in demand

· Cycling

· Equitation

· Fishing

· Soccer (Football)

· Golf

· Hurling

· Rubgy

· Spa

· Walking

· Public Library Services

· Three main types of payments:

· Social Insurance payments

· Means-tested payments

· Universal payments

· Satisfy certain personal circumstances that are set out in the rules for each scheme

· Social insurance payments are given to people who satisfy certain conditions

Healthcare

· Official language(s)

· English

· Irish (Gaelic) is also official spoken by roughly 39.8% of the population

· Everyone speaks and writes English with basic competency

· Learn to speak and write Gaelic in school, but usually extra-curricular

· More rural areas speak Gaelic at home

· Several traditional dialects and a variety of "urban Irish" or "modern Irish"

· Most common is Leinster, spoken in Dublin and many other counties

· Places stress on the first syllable of a word and showed a preference for the pronunciation "cr" where the spelling is "cn"