Planners have given their verdict on the proposal for a KFC restaurant and drive-thru Starbucks on the A55.
Last October Gastronomy Foods - a key KFC franchisee - told North Wales Live it wanted a restaurant situated next to the existing McDonald's on the Singing Kettle services site at Caerwys in Flintshire.
An application was submitted to Flintshire County Council - with the company saying the sites would create 60 jobs.
Now planning officers have recommended the application is approved by the local authority's planning committee.
They said: "The principle of the proposed uses in this location has been established for some time.
"Whilst the proposed uses should normally be directed to nearby settlements, the proposal would extend an existing facility which operates as a service area.
"The key users are passers by using the A55.
"As such, the policy team has confirmed that the expansion of this facility will not harm the viability of the nearby settlements."
They concluded: "Whilst the site is located outside of the defined settlement boundary within the open countryside, the nature of the proposal, extending an existing service area, meeting the needs of tourists means it complies with relevant policies within the UDP.
"The only matters that require mitigation are views to the north and potential for off site parking and this has been dealt with by planting, which can be controlled by condition and the implementation of a Traffic Regulation Order secured via a s106 agreement."
There had been nine letters of objection to the scheme, while local member Cllr Chris Dolphin and Whitford and Caerwys councils had all also opposed the application. They voiced concerns over parking and developing in open countryside.
The planning committee will meet next Wednesday to make a decision on the application.
