Rasbee Limited has applied to Tipperary County Council for permission to introduce an off-licence and pizza takeaway at the existing Inver service station on Mathew Avenue in Thurles.
The proposed development would occupy a 96-square-metre corner unit within the service station shop. Plans include a designated area for the sale of beer and spirits for consumption off the premises, along with an in-store pizza takeaway facility and associated site works.
Ten car-parking spaces are identified as serving the property, and the council recorded the application as received and validated on July 28th 2026 under Article 28 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. Its validity remains dependent on the site notice meeting the relevant regulatory requirements.
A site inspection is due to take place during the statutory assessment period. Submissions or observations received up to and including August 31st will be considered, with a decision scheduled for September 21st.
Application records can be checked through the Tipperary County Council HERE (File Number: 2660735)
Any new takeaway would enter a crowded Thurles food market.
If approved, the proposed pizza facility would join an already substantial food-service sector in Thurles. Current online directories identify Thurles already has a sizeable selection of restaurants, cafés, hotels and Takeaway businesses. Online directories list several dozen food-serving establishments across the town itself and surrounding area, with at least eight businesses specifically listed as Takeaways.
While our figures are approximate, and some businesses appear in both categories. Nevertheless, they indicate that the proposed outlet would enter a competitive local market in which customers already have a broad range of dine-in, collection and delivery options.
Whether the development would contribute to the closure of an existing business cannot be established from the planning application. Competition alone does not mean closures are inevitable, and the proposed facility may attract passing trade associated with the service station, rather than relying entirely on town-centre customers.
However, the possibility of further closures cannot be dismissed. The Restaurants Association of Ireland reported that 150 restaurants closed nationally during the first quarter of 2025, attributing the losses to rising operating costs. The association has identified labour, food, energy, insurance and taxation as significant pressures on food-led businesses. The Government subsequently restored the 9% VAT rate for food-led hospitality from July 2026, offering some relief to the sector.
Against that background, an additional takeaway could place further pressure on some established operators, particularly where businesses compete for the same evening pizza and fast-food trade. It would nevertheless be speculative and potentially unfair to suggest that any named Thurles restaurant or takeaway is likely to close without evidence from the businesses concerned.
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