The smell of hot, crisp fried chicken is about to drift through Midway at Junction 17, because food Ireland has another fast-food opening to watch this week. Popeyes is opening its second location in the Republic of Ireland in Portlaoise on Friday, 26 June, bringing giveaways, longer roadside dining options, and another sign of how quickly the Ireland food scene is changing.
The new restaurant will open at the Applegreen Midway site in Portlaoise and will trade seven days a week from 10am to 11pm. For anyone travelling through Laois, commuting, or simply curious about one of the world’s fastest-growing chicken chains, this is a notable addition to local dining.
What the new Portlaoise opening means for food Ireland
This launch marks Popeyes’ second restaurant in the Republic, arriving only weeks after the brand’s first Irish opening in Blanchardstown. That debut drew major attention, with eager customers reportedly queuing for more than 24 hours to try the chain’s much-talked-about chicken.
Now Portlaoise gets its turn. The Midway opening is also the start of a new partnership between Popeyes and Applegreen in the Republic of Ireland, with more roadside locations expected to follow.
For readers who follow food news Ireland, this matters for a few reasons:
- It adds a high-profile international brand to Portlaoise.
- It brings 40 new jobs to the area.
- It shows how travel-plaza dining in Ireland is becoming more varied.
- It hints at further expansion beyond Dublin and major city centres.
Applegreen has said staff have already been trained at Popeyes restaurants in Northern Ireland and across the UK ahead of the launch, suggesting a well-prepared opening rather than a soft rollout.
Giveaways, menu highlights and what customers can expect
If you are planning a visit on opening day, there is a clear incentive to get there early. Popeyes is offering a set of launch-day freebies for the first customers through the door.
- The first 3 customers will receive free chicken sandwiches for a year.
- The first 50 customers will get Popeyes merchandise.
- The first 100 customers will receive a free chicken sandwich.
That kind of promotion is likely to draw a crowd, especially after the buzz around the Blanchardstown launch.
As for the menu, customers can expect the items that have helped build the chain’s reputation: hot wings, chicken tenders, signature wraps and the brand’s well-known chicken sandwich. There is also a 100% plant-based vegan sandwich, which gives the opening a little broader appeal than a standard fried chicken stop.
For people keeping an eye on places to eat Ireland, this is less about fine dining and more about convenience, consistency and the growing demand for better quick-service options on busy routes.
In a statement ahead of the launch, Applegreen’s Republic of Ireland managing director Seamus Stapleton said the company was pleased to bring Popeyes to Midway customers and noted that the wider Applegreen business is continuing to expand in Ireland. Popeyes UK and Ireland chief development officer Tom Byng also described the opening as the beginning of the partnership’s push into roadside sites across the Republic.
That makes this Portlaoise restaurant feel like more than a one-off opening. It is part of a larger rollout that could reshape how motorists and local diners think about quick stops for lunch or dinner.
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Popeyes currently operates around 5,400 restaurants across 50 countries worldwide, so its Irish growth is happening against a much bigger international backdrop. Another Irish site, at Liffey Valley in Dublin, is already expected in the coming months.
For now, Portlaoise gets the next taste of that expansion. If the queues mirror the first opening, expect a lively first day, plenty of social chatter, and a lot of people carrying out chicken sandwiches in bright branded boxes.
In short, this is one of the more eye-catching updates in food Ireland this week: a major chain, a practical roadside location, and enough opening-day giveaways to get people lining up early. As restaurant updates go, it is simple, specific and easy to picture — hot chicken, a busy forecourt, and the first three customers already counting a year’s worth of sandwiches.
Article/Image Courtesy: Hospitality Ireland
