Applegreen has announced plans to create up to 450 jobs as part of a €6 million investment to roll out Popeyes restaurants across its Irish service station network over the next four years.
The fuel and forecourt retailer said the expansion follows a new agreement that will see a number of Popeyes outlets open at Applegreen locations nationwide, bringing the popular fried chicken brand to more roadside destinations across the country.
The first restaurant under the partnership is set to open in the coming weeks at Applegreen’s Midway service station at Junction 17 on the M7 in Portlaoise, Co Laois.
The move builds on Applegreen’s existing relationship with Popeyes in the United States, where it has operated 24 Popeyes restaurants at travel plaza locations since 2021 across Delaware, Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Popeyes UK and Ireland, which holds the master franchise for the brand in both markets, recently opened its first Irish restaurant in Blanchardstown, Dublin, with a second outlet due to open shortly at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
Founded in the United States, Popeyes operates approximately 5,400 restaurants across 50 countries and generates annual sales of around $8 billion. Since entering the UK market in 2021, the chain has expanded rapidly to more than 110 restaurants, employing around 3,500 people. Sales in the UK business exceeded £118 million in 2024, compared with £15 million in 2022.
Seamus Stapleton, Managing Director of Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland business, welcomed the partnership, saying: “We are delighted to add Popeyes to our growing portfolio of high-quality brands in the Irish market.”
He added: “At Applegreen, we're committed to raising the bar for roadside hospitality and offering great food and world-class service to people on the move. Popeyes is a fantastic addition to the Applegreen offer and we can’t wait to open our first Popeyes outlet at Midway later this summer.”
