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Known for its crunchy, flavorful yet affordable meals and that unforgettable jingle, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has built a loyal customer base over the decades. The brand also earned the title of the top-ranked chicken franchise after rocketing to No. 3 on the 2024 Franchise 500 rankings.
With more than 4,000 locations worldwide, Popeyes has become a destination for fans of New Orleans-style fried chicken. From humble beginnings to a global phenomenon, Popeyes has a rich history full of innovation that has helped it stand out in the competitive fast-food industry. But beyond its food, Popeyes has also made great strides in community involvement and corporate responsibility.
Think you know everything about this famous chicken brand with its famous jingle? Take a closer look at 10 interesting facts about Popeyes that might surprise you and deepen your appreciation for this fast-food giant.
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1. Popeyes is named after Popeye Doyle.
While the name “Popeye’s” might conjure up images of a spinach-eating cartoon sailor, founder Al Copeland actually named the restaurant after it. Popeye DoyleThe 1971 film “French Connection” This bit of trivia often surprises those who assume the name comes from the popular anime character.
2. Yes, Popeyes needs an apostrophe.
If you’re a detail-oriented person who enjoys pointing out grammar mistakes, Popeyes might drive you crazy. Correct spelling It should have been “Popeye’s,” but when he launched the brand, Al Copeland said he couldn’t afford the apostrophe.
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3. Beyoncé can eat free Popeyes for life.
Beyoncé has expressed her love for Popeyes on multiple occasions. She reportedly ate Popeyes at her wedding and said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, “I love Popeyes.”Popeyes Lifetime Free Card“card”
4. The chicken spice recipe cost $43 million.
The Copeland family, who founded Popeyes, held the rights to Popeyes’ famous chicken recipe for many years. Popeyes paid royalties to the Copeland family for use of the recipe. In 2014, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. $43 million recipeHowever, the Copeland family still owned the rights to the proprietary spice blend used in their chicken. The acquisition gave Popeyes more control over its signature recipe while still preserving the unique flavors that set its dishes apart.
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5. It took two years to develop the chicken sandwich.
Popeyes was trying to make a chicken sandwich (you know who they were competing with), and the development process involved: Countless workshops After more than two years of development and taste testing, the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich was released in August 2019.
6. The chicken sandwiches sold out in two weeks.
Its August 2019 launch was accompanied by a robust social media campaign, leading to overwhelming demand. Due to its immense popularity, Popeyes sold out The sandwich sold out just two weeks after its release on August 27, 2019. The sandwich was re-released on November 2, 2019 to even greater anticipation and demand.
7. Popeyes gives back to the community through Food Love Grants.
Popeyes places great importance on contributing to the local community. Food Love Grant Program The Popeyes Food and Nutrition Program is a key part of this effort. The program focuses on awarding grants to nonprofit organizations that provide food to those in need in the community, including school lunch programs and natural disaster response. In 2023, more than 60 local nonprofit organizations received grants through the program, highlighting Popeyes’ dedication to supporting and uplifting the community.
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8. Spicy chicken was a success.
Al Copeland’s first chicken restaurant was actually named Chicken on the Run and served traditional, non-spicy Southern chicken. Unfortunately, the restaurant was not very successful and Copeland rebranded it as Popeyes. He also served chicken and With Cajun FlavorAfter that, he began to achieve further success.
9. Dr. John produced the jingle.
Dr. John The New Orleans musician is a six-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Lyrics and performance The 1980 jingle, “Love that Chicken,” can still be heard in Popeyes commercials.
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10. Chicken sandwiches are a big hit with the military.
Popeyes has stores at various military installations around the world, including Japan, Germany, and Guam. These stores also participated in the 2019 Popeyes Chicken Sandwich craze, with the Military Times reporting that the wildly popular sandwich was “Deteriorating military readiness“
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