Who Owns Popeyes?

Do you love Popeyes fried chicken?

This popular restaurant chain is famous for serving biscuits along with its fried chicken. While Popeyes has expanded dramatically over the years, it has still managed to remain true to its roots.

If you have ever found yourself wondering ‘who owns Popeyes?’ you are in luck. The restaurant chain boasts a long and interesting history that is likely to surprise you.

So, let’s take an in-depth look and find out everything you want to know about Popeyes!

The History Of Popeyes

The story of Popeyes begins in 1972 with Alvin C. Copeland Sr. This now-famous entrepreneur opened a small restaurant in New Orleans that he called ‘Chicken on the Run.’ The restaurant served Southern fried chicken, and although the food was fairly well-received, the name was not.

Alvin C. Copeland Sr. was forced to close the restaurant for a few months and go back to the drawing board. When he reopened the restaurant, Popeyes was named after Popeye Doyle from The French Connection. Instead of serving Southern fried chicken, the restaurant now offered spicy New Orleans–style fried chicken.

1976

The success of Popeyes was so great that just four years later, the first franchise restaurant was opened. This took place in the bustling Louisiana city of Baton Rouge. Popeye’s Chickens’ unique and popular recipes meant that a further five hundred franchises were opened over the following decade.

The company’s tagline “Love that Chicken” was especially popular and helped Popeyes rise to fame. By the mid-1980s, more than eight hundred franchises had been opened and were doing a roaring trade. By this time, Popeyes was the third most popular quick-service chicken chain in the United States.

1991

The first international Popeyes franchise was opened in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. While all of the most popular menu items were present, the franchise offered halal chicken to cater to religious practices.

1999

This year marks the first time that Popeyes made more than a billion dollars in a single year. The restaurant franchise also became recognized for their exotic rice dishes with the MenuMasters Award for Louisiana Legends.

2012

This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Popeyes brand, and a partnership with Zatarain’s Butterfly Shrimp was announced. Popeyes also entered into a partnership with Coca-Cola to launch a series of customized holiday collector cups.

The Burger King Takeover

On February 21st, 2017, Canadian-American-based fast-food enterprise Restaurants Brands International purchased the Popeyes brand for a reported $1.8 billion. The enterprise also owns Burger King as well as Tim Hortons. The takeover breathed a new lease of life into the Popeyes brand, and numerous new branches were opened.

Popular Popeyes Menu Items

Popeyes is particularly popular among chicken lovers who are on a budget and want filling fast food. The always popular $5 Bonafide Big Box is a testimony to this fact. This special is offered quite regularly at various branches and features two pieces of chicken and three side dishes.

Biscuits are another menu item that makes Popeyes stand out from the crowd. These salty and buttery biscuits are especially fluffy on the inside. They are available as a side dish and served with all of the Popeyes meal options.

It is no secret that Popeyes specializes in chicken, and it is available in a range of different forms. The most popular options include Bonafide Chicken, Chicken Tenders, Chicken Waffle Tenders, and Ghost Pepper Wings. Other popular menu items include mashed potatoes, French fries, red beans and rice, and the Popeyes cinnamon apple pie.

Looking To Work At Popeyes?

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Final Thoughts

Part of the secret of the success of Popeyes is the focus on New Orleans-style chicken. Catering to the tastes of the local people helped the restaurant to flourish. Rather than becoming another restaurant selling standard fried chicken, Alvin C. Copeland Sr. dared to do something different.

While Popeyes has undergone many transformations over the years, the basic concept has remained the same. Today, Popeyes restaurants can be found in more than thirty different countries around the world. The international branches mainly cater to American visitors who are hungry for a taste of home.

Hope you enjoy your yummy Popeyes!