Bakery chain Greggs hopes to create up to 150 jobs in the north west this year through a series of store openings away from the high street.
The retailer plans to launch 90 sites nationwide, around 15 of which will be in the region.
Chief executive Ken McMeikan said the new branches are likely to be at out-of-town locations.
He also plans to diversify the chain's product range by placing a growing emphasis on hot drinks and launching new “take-home” product lines to compete with supermarkets.
Mr McMeikan said: “If you take Manchester and the north west, there are still substantial growth opportunities.
“We have got most of the high streets covered in the north west but the opportunities for us are going into places like industrial estates retail parks, bus terminals, train stations and airports.”
Greggs has 208 stores in the north west and employs more than 2,500 people, including 220 at its £16m Openshaw bakery in east Manchester.
It opened 84 branches across the UK last year, of which 14 were in the region. In December, it launched its first outlet at a motorway service station, in Lymm, Cheshire, as part of a deal with Moto Hospitality.
Greggs also added a branch at Manchester Airport, which now sells more cups of coffee than any other site nationwide.
Each new store creates around 10 jobs.
Mr McMeikan said the introduction of hot drinks to its stores helps it compete with the likes of Starbucks and Costa.
He said one of the Greggs' big opportunities is to sell products which customers can take home, such as bite-size snacks and different types of bread rolls.
“I think most people come to Greggs for their breakfast or lunch but if we can get the right range in place, we can tap into that market,” he said.
“It's about how do we make it convenient and easy for customers. One of the ways is to look at where we are positioning our shops and making sure they are where the people are.
“If we are not based on a retail park, then the customer who wants a sandwich and some rolls to take home will have to shop twice. But, if we are there, then they don’t, and that is where the expansion opportunities are for Greggs.”
* For a full interview with Ken McMeikan, see the latest edition of Greater Manchester Business Week
**Do you receive the MEN business bulletin? Take the hard work out of keeping up with Manchester business news and sign up for the twice-daily email –
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More cold "hot" products and surly staff. Just what we need.
More fatty food for obese chavs then? The number of single mums pushing sprogs around while feeding them on sausage rolls seems to be ever increasing. No wonder the population is becomming obese.
GREAT JOB GREEGS !!! lovely pasties good value for money, try a pasty in a buttered barm Mmmm.
I suppose if you like boiling hot gravy with a scragg of meat surrounded by pastry then your happy.
As long as we have areas riddled with people who think benefits are a way of life, we will have great sales in pyjamas (ladies uniform along with flip flops) and a roaring trade in Greggs for little Kylie/Versace/Britney's lunch.
Funny isn't it the only people to benefit from a recession are, Cash Converter Shops and Junk Food ones. I was in Farnworth last week and saw a small bratt Gnawing on a Pastie, before asking his Mum, " What's an Apple "
150 women back into employment then - never seen a fella working in one have you?!
Their Jaffa doughnuts are nice
One of the only shops where you see a queue outside with mainly overweight women pushing trolleys. I've tried the food myself and find it disgusting.
Good luck Greggs. Any company expanding and creating jobs should be applauded.
£20 in Margaret!
Ignoramus The name suits you I said FARNWORTH NOT FARNSWORTH
More pasties stuffed down kids faces by legging clad fat mothers when they cry in the pram
While the north looks to add jobs and investment with Greggs, London looks likely to get a new £50 billion super airport!
Wow, so many misogynists commenting on here! Let the hatred go guys, it's not good for you. Neither are pasties for that matter.
There's a lot of anti-Greggs comment here - or rather, comment against the queues of grubby chavs hankering after a tepid sausage roll. However, as a frequent visitor to office parks, industrial estates and so on through my job, a Greggs outlet would be significantly preferable to a butty van. Besides, the sandwiches (rather than the savouries) are actually very good, and the jam doughnuts are still the best I reckon. And if it means more jobs and fewer empty stores, then happy days.
more food for the fatties
I've never read such a continous list of horrific Moans. Listen idiots, if you dont like Greggs dont go in one, and if you dont like single mothers give them a wide birth and stop crying about it.
The only good thing about this thread is the humour from Ignoramus