Popeyes Ireland Opening Date Confirmed as First Dublin Restaurant Creates 80 Jobs

Popeyes is preparing to make its official debut in Ireland, with the American chicken chain confirming that its first restaurant in the country will open at Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin on June 6. The launch will bring one of the world’s best-known fried chicken brands into the Irish market and create more than 80 jobs at the shopping centre.

The New Orleans-born restaurant brand will open its first Irish outlet inside The Green Mall at Blanchardstown Centre, a busy retail destination that has become a key location for international food and leisure brands entering Ireland. A second Dublin restaurant is already planned for Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and is expected to follow in the coming weeks.

The arrival of Popeyes adds fresh competition to Ireland’s fast-food sector, where global chains have been moving quickly to secure high-footfall locations. Wendy’s recently opened in Cork’s Mahon Point Shopping Centre, while Taco Bell has expanded across Ireland since entering the market in September 2025.

For customers, the Dublin opening means Popeyes’ Louisiana-inspired menu will be available in Ireland for the first time. The chain said the Blanchardstown restaurant will serve several of its signature items, including hot wings, chicken tenders, chicken wraps, hand-spun shakes and classic biscuits with Cajun gravy.

Popeyes will also offer a 100% plant-based vegan sandwich, giving the new restaurant a broader menu beyond its core chicken products. From June 7, the Blanchardstown branch will also begin serving breakfast until 10:30am every day from Monday to Sunday.

Tom Crowley, Popeyes UK and Ireland chief executive, said the company had seen strong demand from Irish customers before the launch. He said the opening represented an “incredible milestone” for the brand and showed the strength of demand for Popeyes’ chicken outside the US.

The company is also planning a launch-day celebration at Blanchardstown, with early customers expected to receive giveaways, exclusive Popeyes merchandise and servings of its Louisiana-style chicken. Similar openings in other markets have often attracted long queues, and the first Irish restaurant is likely to draw strong attention from food fans and social media users.

Popeyes was founded in New Orleans in 1972 and has since grown into a major global restaurant chain. Its international profile rose sharply after its chicken sandwich became a viral hit, helping the company expand more aggressively into new markets.

The Irish launch fits into a wider trend of US food brands using shopping centres as their first entry points into the country. These locations give restaurant chains immediate access to strong footfall, families, students and younger consumers who are more likely to try international fast-food brands they have seen online or while travelling.

Connor Owens, chief executive of Falcon AM, the asset management company for Blanchardstown Centre, said Popeyes’ arrival adds another global name to the centre’s food offering. He described Blanchardstown Centre as a major retail and leisure destination for first-time brand launches in Ireland.

The opening also brings a local employment boost, with more than 80 jobs created for the first restaurant. These roles are expected to cover restaurant operations, kitchen work, customer service and management positions.

Official details about the opening can be found through Blanchardstown Centre’s Popeyes announcement.

For Popeyes, Ireland offers a fresh growth opportunity at a time when fast-food brands are competing harder for loyal customers. The company’s decision to confirm two Dublin sites before the first restaurant even opens suggests it sees long-term potential in the market.

Swikblog has previously covered Popeyes-related business developments in the US, including pressure on one of its large franchise operators. Read more here: Popeyes franchisee bankruptcy with 130 restaurants and 20 closures.

With its first Irish restaurant now dated, a second Dublin site already in the pipeline and more than 80 new jobs attached to the launch, Popeyes is entering Ireland with a clear expansion plan rather than a small test opening. The June 6 debut at Blanchardstown Centre is expected to be closely watched by both customers and rival fast-food operators.

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