New Applegreen Naas Ball development will feature Ireland’s first Popeyes drive-thru, ultra-fast EV charging and a mix of retail and food brands.
Applegreen is to create 150 new jobs in Kildare with the opening of a new €15m electric vehicle (EV) hub and roadside service area at Junction 9 on the M7.
Next to the iconic Naas Ball, the development forms part of a wider multi-million euro investment programme by the Irish roadside hospitality and retail group, which continues to expand its network across Ireland while upgrading existing locations.
“We are continuing to invest heavily in the Irish market, as we see significant long-term growth prospects for the Applegreen business”
The new Naas Ball site has been designed as a major roadside destination and will include Popeyes, Taco Bell, M&S Food, an Applegreen forecourt and convenience store, and the company’s Crafted Kitchen & Deli offering.
Driving ahead
The Popeyes restaurant will be the first Popeyes drive-thru outlet in the Republic of Ireland. A further drive-thru brand is also scheduled to open on the site this winter.
The facility will include eight Applegreen Fast Charge ultra-fast EV chargers, providing a total of 16 charging points. It will also feature a dedicated truck stop for HGV fuelling and an Applegreen carwash.
Seamus Stapleton, Managing Director of Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland business, said the development reflects the company’s ambitions for the Irish market.
“Our new service area at the Naas Ball, Junction 9 on the M7 reflects our ambition to raise the bar for roadside hospitality in Ireland,” said Stapleton. “We will be providing a high-quality customer experience with bright, modern, welcoming facilities for customers offering top-class brands that our customers love.”
Stapleton said Applegreen remains committed to investing in Ireland and sees strong opportunities for future growth.
“We are continuing to invest heavily in the Irish market, as we see significant long-term growth prospects for the Applegreen business. We have several additional new sites in the pipeline, and we are also continuing to upgrade existing locations. The recruitment process for the 150 new jobs that we are creating in Naas is already underway, and we’re looking forward to welcoming additional colleagues into the Applegreen team.”
The Naas development will become Applegreen’s second major services area opened or developed in Ireland within the past year. In September last year, the company opened a €15 million service area at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
The project also highlights the continued expansion of several food and retail partnerships across Applegreen’s Irish estate. The company has recently introduced both Taco Bell and Popeyes to its Irish operations and has expanded its partnership with M&S Food, which is now available at 43 Applegreen locations nationwide. Investment is also continuing in the expansion of the Braeburn coffee range and the rollout of the Crafted Kitchen & Deli brand.
Founded in Ballyfermot, Dublin, in 1992, Applegreen now operates almost 200 locations across Ireland. The company typically invests more than €30 million each year in new store openings, upgrades and improvements in the Irish market.
Internationally, Applegreen operates across Ireland, Britain and the United States, with more than 435 locations and over 700 branded food offers throughout its network. The group serves more than 180 million customers annually and reported turnover of €3.8 billion in 2024. During the peak summer period, it employs almost 18,000 people.
Its UK Welcome Break business operates 60 sites, including 36 motorway service areas and 31 hotels, while Applegreen’s US operation includes 181 sites and more than 300 branded food outlets.
The company is also progressing an €85 million investment programme to expand its EV charging networks across the three markets in which it operates.
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