The first of two locations will open at Applegreen’s Lisburn South motorway service area on the M1 later this month, followed by the second location at Applegreen Templepatrick on the M2 in March

Applegreen has entered into a new licensing partnership for Northern Ireland with Chick-fil-A, the US-headquartered quick service restaurant (QSR) company.

The news follows Chick-fil-A's recent announcement that it will enter the UK market in 2025, starting with five restaurants across four cities.

The first of two locations will open at Applegreen’s Lisburn South motorway service area on the M1 later this month, followed by the second location at Applegreen Templepatrick on the M2 in March.

The new restaurants will create 70 new jobs, bringing Applegreen’s overall employment numbers in Northern Ireland to 351.

Applegreen already has a very successful partnership with Chick-fil-A in the United States, as it operates 14 of its restaurants at its US-based motorway service areas.

Applegreen confirms Northern Ireland sites excluded from sale to EG On The Move

Chick-fil-A, known for its Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich and signature hospitality, is the third largest quick service restaurant company by sales volume in the United States, and operates more than 3,000 restaurants across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Applegreen has entered into a new licensing partnership for Northern Ireland with Chick-fil-A, the US-headquartered quick service restaurant (QSR) company. Credit: Applegreen

placeholder image — Applegreen has entered into a new licensing partnership for Northern Ireland with Chick-fil-A, the US-headquartered quick service restaurant (QSR) company. Credit: Applegreen

"We are delighted to be bringing Chick-fil-A to Northern Ireland with this new partnership agreement," said Caroline Cherington, regional operations director for Applegreen, Northern Ireland.

"Having successfully operated Chick-fil-A restaurants in the United States for several years, we know how much customers love their high-quality food, and we’re excited to introduce this brand to a new audience."

The opening of the new restaurants follows significant upgrades to the Applegreen service areas at Lisburn South and Templepatrick in recent months, which also saw the addition of new M&S Food stores at both locations.

"Our focus is on delighting our customers on the road with exceptional hospitality and the brands they love, with the aim of delivering the best experience to customers on the move,” added to Ms Cherington.

Applegreen operates five locations in Northern Ireland. The two largest sites are just outside Lisburn, on the northern and southern sides of the M1 motorway, and it also has sites in Templepatrick, Ballymena, and Hillsborough.

The firm recently confirmed that its Northern Ireland filling stations were not part of the deal to sell nearly 100 filling stations to UK operator of filling stations and convenience stores EG On The Move.

Applegreen, which was founded in Dublin in 1992 with a single service station in Ballyfermot, now operates 592 sites in Ireland, the UK and the United States, employing a total of 17,000 people worldwide. It has more than 700 branded food offers across its global network and has existing restaurant partnerships in Northern Ireland with brands such as Burger King, Subway, Chopstix, and Greggs.

Applegreen recently unveiled plans to invest €1 billion (£830 million) to expand its business in all three of its major markets over the next five years. It operates about 200 locations in Ireland, while in the UK, its Welcome Break business operates 59 sites, including 35 motorway service areas, and 31 hotels.