Popeyes

(Scroll down to see all diet options for Popeyes.)

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. is a famous fast-food restaurant in the United States. They are known for their Cajun-style cuisines, Fried chicken, french fries, seafood, vegetables, and biscuits. The company has over 3,700 restaurants in 2021. Most of its restaurants are situated in 46 states and DC, Puerto Rico, and 30 countries worldwide. 50 are firmed owned and the rest are franchised.

The company is founded by Al Copeland who is an American entrepreneur. He is a highly experienced restaurateur who has successfully managed other restaurants. The company was first established in Arabi, Louisiana. The company name came from a detective character Jimmy Popeye Doyle, a fictional character played by Gene Hackman in the film French Connection in 1971. As you can see, there’s no apostrophe on the restaurant name unlike McDonald’s and Hardee’s, Copeland said that he was too poor to afford that.

Copeland saw the success of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and wanted to compete with it but he failed. It did not discourage him to still keep going. After 4 days, he reopened the restaurant and renamed it from Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken to Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken in 1975. They started franchising the restaurants in 1976 and in 1985 it already had 500 restaurants across Canada. Popeyes has a “Hall of Fame” for franchisees. Many international franchisees, such as those in Germany, France, and Japan, are exclusively found in US military facilities and are not open to the general public.

Popeyes disclosed on June 2014, it had re-acquired complete control of its spices, recipes, and other specialized food preparation strategies from Diversified Foods & Seasonings, which have stayed under the control of Al Copeland Popeyes. It had proceeded to license DF&S’s seasonings, recipes, and techniques before purchasing them entirely for $43 million. DF&S will continue to be Popeyes’ primary supplier until 2029. Restaurant Brands International, a Canadian-American multinational fast food chain holding company, announced a deal to purchase Popeyes for $1.8 billion on February 2017. The transaction was completed in March 2017 when RBI paid $79 per share for Popeyes.

The exteriors of the restaurants have a distinguishing white and orange color pattern. The initial buildings were made of black lava basalt and had red-tiled roofing. To comply with the present orange stucco appearance, most older places have covered the rock exterior. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the corporation licensed protagonists from the Popeye comic book series to be used in marketing. Television and radio commercials frequently feature a New Orleans-style soundtrack, as well as the famous “Love That Chicken” jingle sung by Dr. John, a New Orleans funk and R&B artist.

Popeyes has expanded internationally, they are still serving Cajun-style dishes, chicken tenders, fries, mashed potatoes, burgers, and sandwiches. They also serve seafood entrees like catfish and shrimp. In 2006, the company also announced that they are introducing trans-fat-free biscuits and french fries. It is a great move for a healthier menu at Popeyes. They adjusted to the market’s demand by offering healthier food options. However, there are only a few vegan and keto options.

In 2019, Popeyes started selling a chicken sandwich to compete against Chick-fil-identical A’s sandwich. The sandwich was first served at the Long Beach cafe Sweet Dixie Kitchen, which had become well-known for reselling fried chicken purchased from Popeyes.

Today Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc is still one of the top competing fast food chains in the world including Popeyes is a tough competitor of Chick Fil A, Burger King, McDonald’s, and other restaurants. They are still offering Cajun-style dishes.  In 2022, Popeyes is in the 20th place among the best Restaurants all over the United States, placing 24th last year. They have proven and know what it takes to climb up the rank and beat their competitors. So, whether you’re dining out or going for a driving-through, you can always try Popeyes’ food items. However, if you’re on a keto or vegan diet, you can check our guide below for you to be aware of how to order at Popeyes.