Popeyes® Franchise Overview

About Popeyes®

Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes® has more than 45 years of history and culinary tradition. The Popeyes® brand distinguishes itself with a unique New Orleans style menu featuring spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp, and other regional items. The chain's passion for its Louisiana heritage and flavorful authentic food has allowed Popeyes to become one of the world's largest chicken quick service restaurants with over 3,300 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world.

Franchise History

Thirty-three years ago in New Orleans, Louisiana, a taste sensation was born. What began with one small restaurant and one big idea turned into a craze that swept the nation-- and the world.

The Popeyes story began in New Orleans back in 1972, when Al Copeland opened a quick-service restaurant called "Chicken on the Run," selling traditional mild fried chicken to the folks in small New Orleans suburb of Arabi. But business was slow, and Copeland realized that he'd have to sell a spicier alternative to his standard chicken recipe if he wanted to impress flavor-seeking New Orleanians.

Copeland had already been experimenting with the flavorful Cajun recipes he'd been enjoying all his life and soon reopened his restaurant as "Popeyes," named after the character Popeye Doyle in the movie "The French Connection." With this new concept, Copeland made his mark on the world. He found his success through the delicious New Orleans-style fried chicken that has now made Popeyes famous throughout the world. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 1976, Popeyes opened its first franchise restaurant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and over the next decade added 500 more. Thanks to great recipes, a franchise support system that was among the best in the quick-service food industry, and the help of one of the most effective jingles ever created "Love that Chicken from Popeyes" Popeyes continued its stunning growth, opening 200 additional restaurants over the next few years.

This web page does not constitute a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise. A franchise offering can be made by us only in a state if we are first registered, excluded, exempted or otherwise qualified to offer franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document.