Popeyes Liverpool opens in November, but what’s all the clucking fuss about?
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is continuing its UK expansion with a wave of new openings in the pipeline including Liverpool, Leicester, Cambridge, Brighton and Reading. Famous for its chicken sandwich, Popeyes has already successfully launched in Gateshead, Derby, Nottingham and Oxford, which saw huge queues out the door.
Not to be confused with the thing we Brits dunk into a nice cup of tea, the Popeyes Biscuit is a soft round buttery baked product, a bit like a scone.
The opening of the new restaurants is part of Popeyes’ plan to open more than 350 locations across the UK over the next ten years. The brand operates across the US, Europe, the Middle East and Africa with an established presence across 25 countries.
Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes is known for its New Orleans style menu featuring its signature Louisiana fried chicken, chicken tenders and hot wings. The Popeyes chicken sandwich is made with “fried chicken breast, fresh pickles & creamy mayo in a soft brioche bun”. There’s also a deluxe chicken sandwich, a spicy chicken sandwich and a spicy deluxe chicken sandwich.
Sides include cajun seasoned fries, mac & cheese, mash & cajun gravy, and the Popeyes original “biscuit”. Not to be confused with the thing we Brits dunk into a nice cup of tea, the Popeyes Biscuit is a soft round buttery baked product, a bit like a scone. You can order them on their own or with cajun gravy.
Reviews on Popeyes UK Facebook page are mixed - "Best fast food chicken I've ever tasted, 100% better than KFC and the cajun fries are to die for," wrote one customer in Nottingham, while another said "chicken and chips are very salty."
Oxford’s record-breaking launch in September saw queues forming at 5am with over 2,000 chicken sandwiches sold in one day. Popeyes Stratford, the first UK branch which opened in November 2021, is now the highest-performing Popeyes restaurant in the world out of 3,500 sites.
Popeyes is owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI), one of the world's largest fast food companies with over 29,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI also owns Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Firehouse Subs.
On 26 November, Popeyes is opening the doors to its first North West restaurant in Liverpool.
Popeyes Liverpool will open on the ground floor of 61 Lord Street, below Rococo Coffee House. The lower level was previously an EE store. Number 61, also known as Venice Chambers, is the second oldest building on Lord Street and its history dates back to 1882.
Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes, said: “We’re excited to be kicking off our North West expansion in the heart of Liverpool - it is a thriving and great city. We had fans travel down from Liverpool to our Stratford opening so we know Liverpool fans will be excited to get their hands on a Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich .”
Popeyes Liverpool will officially open its doors at 11am and will be pulling out all the stops to showcase its Southern hospitality, including rolling out an orange carpet, distributing limited-edition merchandise and hosting a live Mardi Gras style band, the Brass Funkeys, to bring the sound of New Orleans to the city.
Popeyes Liverpool, 59-61 Lord Street, L2 6PB
Cover photo: Popeyes/Facebook
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