The Colonel has landed in The Kingdom: KFC opens first restaurant in County Kerry
…creating 60 local jobs
KFC’s latest restaurant opened in Tralee, Co. Kerry, this week, bringing the brand’s famous Original Chicken Recipe to Tralee Co. Kerry. The restaurant will serve up KFC’s full menu of fried chicken favourites, along with the Kwench drinks range. The new 260sqm restaurant features a drive-thru, 78 seats, seven digital ordering kiosks, a dedicated collection area for delivery drivers, and 33 parking spaces.
The opening will create 60 jobs in the local community and marks an exciting milestone in KFC’s expansion across Ireland. Bringing the Colonel’s world-famous Original Recipe chicken to The Kingdom for the first time, the new restaurant in Tralee Retail Park will give Kerry’s chicken fans the chance to enjoy the iconic KFC experience closer to home, with doors open daily from 11am to 10.30pm.
Dan Marshal, Head of Franchise Operations, KFC UK & Ireland added: “Opening our first restaurant in County Kerry is an exciting milestone for KFC in Ireland and another important step in our continued expansion across the country. We know there are plenty of KFC fans in The Kingdom, and we’re delighted to finally bring our famous Original Recipe chicken to the community in Tralee and beyond.”
Speaking at the opening of the restaurant, Fiona Cooke, Operations Director, KFC Tralee said: “We are delighted to finally open our doors in Tralee and bring KFC to County Kerry for the first time. It’s a really exciting opportunity to become part of the local community and business network, and we’re proud to be creating 60 jobs in the area. Our team is ready to welcome customers and serve up our famous Original Recipe chicken to fans from across The Kingdom.”
The new restaurant will serve KFC’s latest festive menu, launching nationwide from November 9th and putting gravy firmly at the heart of the Christmas feast. Leading the line-up is the much loved Gravymas Burger, giving KFC’s fan favourite Gravy Burger a festive makeover with a crispy Original Recipe Fillet, a golden hash brown and a sprinkle of Sage & Onion seasoning, all topped with rich Gravy Mayo and served with a pot of iconic KFC Gravy for dipping and drenching. Joining the burger are the brand new Festive Loaded Fries, topped with bite-sized Popcorn Chicken, Gravy Mayo and a sprinkle of festive seasoning.
Adding a blockbuster twist to the season, KFC is also joining forces with Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday for a limited-edition menu inspired by one of Marvel’s most iconic villains. The menu features the scroll stopping Doom Burger, Doom Drip’d Wings, a Doom Mint Shake and Doom Dust seasoning, bringing bold flavours and unexpected twists to the KFC menu. Five exclusive Avengers Colonel collectables will also be available, giving fans even more reason to get involved ahead of the film’s arrival in cinemas on 16th December 2026.
KFC is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading fried chicken brands, famous for its Original Recipe chicken. The company now operates 37 restaurants across Ireland, employing more than 1,000 people. As part of its continued expansion, KFC plans to invest €105 million in Ireland over the next five years, creating 820 additional jobs across the country.
