When you first get here you’ll realize that a lot of the big US chains are not in Ireland. I’m not saying they should be, but if you find yourself saying “I need to get X from Y”, this little guide might help.
You will find a bunch of the usual suspects: Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds, Burger King; but for the rest you can use this table to get started.
| US Store | Closest Irish Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Home Depot, Lowes | Homebase (a lot smaller), Woodies |
| Bed, Bath & Beyond | Homestore and More (looks like they cloned it) |
| Costco | There is nothing like Costco in Ireland 😢 |
| Walmart | Pennys (sort of, it is a lot smaller, but super cheap) |
| Target | Dunnes (sort of, not a close fit) |
| Safeway | Tesco |
| Whole Foods | SuperValu |
| Trader Joe’s | Lidl, Aldi |
| Fry’s (sadly missed) | I haven’t found anything like Fry’s 😢 |
| Peets | Starbucks, Costa (sort of) |
With regards to coffee shops, the good news is that there are plenty of independent coffee shops, the bad news is that they can be expensive. And on the other hand, you’ll probably find yourself drinking more tea anyways (Barry’s, not Lyons)