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Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the iconic restaurant chain known for its crispy, flavorful chicken and signature biscuits, is embarking on a major expansion plan. The company recently announced its intention for a spicy expansion, by opening a whopping 800 new restaurants in the United States and Canada by 2028, increasing its total footprint to over 4,200 locations.
This ambitious move comes on the heels of several successful years for Popeyes. The brand’s popularity skyrocketed after the infamous “chicken sandwich wars” of 2019, where its sandwich became a viral sensation and generated long lines and enthusiastic customer reviews. Since then, Popeyes has continued to innovate its menu with new offerings like their latest…chicken wings, which have been well-received by customers.
Joshua Kobza, CEO of Popeyes’ parent company Restaurant Brands Inc. discussed the recent permanent addition of Wings to the menu, and their first ever Super Bowl Commercial: “That was a lot of what was behind the thought of doing the Super Bowl ad because we didn’t have high awareness, mass-market awareness that Popeyes had wings, and the Super Bowl is a tremendous vehicle to drive vast market awareness. And I think the Super Bowl this year was no exception. It was one of the best. I think the viewership was actually the highest ever. So we got even more bang for our buck.”
Here are some key factors behind Popeye’s expansion plan:
- Strategic location: Popeyes plans to focus on opening new restaurants in areas with high population density and strong demand for its offerings. This includes urban centers, suburban neighborhoods, and even international markets.
- Enhanced efficiency: The company is investing in developing new kitchen layouts that streamline operations and reduce wait times. This will be crucial for handling the increased customer traffic at the new locations.
- Menu innovation: While Popeyes’ core menu items remain popular, the chain understands the need to keep things fresh. It’s likely that new menu additions and limited-time offerings will continue to attract customers and generate excitement.
Popeyes will need to maintain its brand differentiation and quality while navigating rising costs and labor shortages, and with its strong brand identity, loyal customer base, and strategic growth plan, Popeyes seems well-positioned to spice up the market with its ambitious expansion.
Last year, according to Barclay’s research, Popeyes made it as the #2 chicken chain in the US, usurping KFC for the first time in ten years. Chick-Fil-A remains at the coveted top spot, and now Popeye’s is making moves to change that. Can Popeye’s deliver the results they’re looking for? This expansion plan will get them closer to that goal for sure…but will everything go according to plan?
