Applegreen will open a €15m Naas service area on the M7, creating 150 jobs and featuring Ireland’s first Popeyes drive-thru, Taco Bell and M&S.
Applegreen is set to open a new €15 million roadside service area at Junction 9 on the M7 beside the Naas Ball, creating 150 new jobs and bringing a range of food, retail and electric vehicle charging facilities to one of the country’s busiest transport routes.
The new site will officially open at 9.30am on September 29 and will initially feature Popeyes, Taco Bell, M&S Food, Crafted Kitchen & Deli, Braeburn Coffee, an Applegreen forecourt and convenience store.
“Our new service area in Naas will open on September 29 and we look forward to welcoming customers to the site”
The development will also mark a first for the Republic of Ireland, with the opening of the country’s first Popeyes drive-thru restaurant.
The site includes eight Applegreen Fast Charge ultra-fast EV chargers, providing a total of 16 charging points, as well as a dedicated truck stop for HGV fuelling. Applegreen said additional drive-thru brands will be introduced at the location in the coming months.
KEY NUMBERS: Applegreen Naas Expansion
• €1bn investment programme across Ireland, UK and US
• 150 new jobs created at Naas service area
• €15m invested in the new M7 development
• 16 EV charging points across eight ultra-fast chargers
• Ireland’s first Popeyes drive-thru opening at the site
• 43 Applegreen locations now stock M&S Food
• Almost 200 sites across the Irish market
• €3.8bn turnover reported by Applegreen in 2024
• 18,000 employees worldwide during peak summer season
• 180m customers served annually across the global network
Editorial takeaway: The Naas opening highlights the scale of Applegreen’s growth strategy, combining foodservice expansion, EV infrastructure investment and significant job creation within a €1 billion international investment programme.
Meals and wheels
“We are delighted to announce that our new service area in Naas will open on September 29 and we look forward to welcoming customers to the site, which is conveniently located at Junction 9 on the M7, close to the Naas Ball,” said Seamus Stapleton, Managing Director of Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland business.
The Naas development is the second major service area opened by Applegreen in Ireland within the past year. In September last year, the company launched a €15 million site at Junction 6 on the M3 in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
To mark the opening, customers will have access to a range of promotional offers across several brands operating on the site.
At Popeyes, the first three customers on foot will receive free chicken sandwiches for a year, while the first 100 customers will receive a free chicken sandwich. The first 50 people in the queue will also receive exclusive Popeyes merchandise.
“We’re excited to be opening our first drive-thru in Ireland in partnership with Applegreen at their new site close to the Naas Ball. We can’t wait to welcome the local community through our doors and share our famous Louisiana hospitality, bold flavours and unmistakable Popeyes crunch,” said Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK and Ireland.
Popeyes will also host opening-day entertainment, including a brass band in the morning and a DJ in the afternoon.
Taco Bell is offering free burrito meals for a year to its first three customers, free tacos for its first 100 customers and branded merchandise for the first 50 visitors.
“We’re delighted to be bringing Taco Bell to even more fans in Ireland with the opening of the new restaurant in Naas. Ireland continues to be an exciting market for Taco Bell, and this opening is another great example of the momentum we’re building together with Applegreen,” said Lucy Dee, Marketing Director for Taco Bell UK & Ireland.
Crafted Kitchen & Deli will offer free full Irish breakfasts to its first 10 customers and food sampling throughout the day.
Over the past year, Applegreen has expanded its Irish foodservice offering through the introduction of Popeyes and Taco Bell, while continuing to grow its partnerships and proprietary brands. M&S Food is now available at 43 Applegreen locations nationwide, while the company is also expanding its Braeburn Coffee and Crafted Kitchen & Deli concepts.
Applegreen is currently investing €1 billion to expand its operations across Ireland, the UK and the United States through a combination of new developments, acquisitions and upgrades across its network.
Founded with its first service station in Ballyfermot, Dublin, in 1992, Applegreen now operates almost 200 locations in Ireland. The group invests more than €30 million annually in the Irish market through new store openings, upgrades and improvements.
Globally, Applegreen operates more than 435 locations and more than 700 branded food offers. The group reported turnover of €3.8 billion in 2024 and employs almost 18,000 people worldwide during the peak summer period. Its outlets serve more than 180 million customers each year.
In the UK, its Welcome Break business operates 62 sites, including 36 motorway service areas and 31 hotels. In the United States, Applegreen operates 181 locations and more than 300 branded food outlets.
👉 No tech background needed to bring your business into the AI age! Secure your Google AI Professional Certificate to complete the certification at no cost. Apply now and get started!
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
