Chicken QSR chain starts 50-year couples contest
Popeyes brought back its Cajun Rice and launched a $6.99 fried chicken special as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1972 by Al Copeland in New Orleans, the company is rooted in its Cajun roots and has grown to become a QSR brand with which to contend, as it now generates $5B in systemwide sales.
Cajun Rice offers a rice blend of bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery and cayenne, seasoned with Cajun and creole spices. After discontinuing it in 2021, the chain has returned it based on popular demand. The return of Cajun Rice follows numerous customer requests via Twitter. For the anniversary chicken special, five pieces of crispy hand-battered and hand-breaded chicken will go for just $6.99.
Reflecting on history of Popeyes brand
The chain’s history includes the acquisition by Restaurant Brands International (RBI). This was a pivotal moment for Popeyes, according to an announcement. At the time (2017), the QSR brand held a lot of promise, but was undervalued. In five years, the customer base of the chain with “chicken mastery and southern Louisiana roots” has grown; concurrently, sales have nearly doubled from the $3B it had in 2017.
“Popeyes has been on an incredible growth trajectory over the past few years and we’re just getting started,” said Sami Siddiqui, president of Popeyes. “At the core of this growth story is a rich brand heritage built on chicken mastery and consistently high-quality menu items for our fans. When RBI acquired Popeyes just five years ago, we knew there was incredible potential to wow the world and reset standards for what southern food, fried chicken and hospitality should be. The launch of our Chicken Sandwich in 2019 proved just that, and as the president of this beloved brand, I take great pride in introducing Popeyes and our food to more and more people each day.”
The more-than 3,700 locations globally have come to represent the strength of the brand and its maturity. Popeyes’ executives expect to open 200 new locations in 2022. Internationally, the chicken QSR will penetrate new markets, such as South Korea, France, India, and Romania. This will add to the global footprint of existing markets. These include China, United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, Philippines, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Switzerland, and Sri Lanka.
Popeyes celebrating 50 ‘years of love’
The Miami-based quick-serve chain will reflect on the 50 years through a replay of the story of couples who have also matured and loved for five decades. The video can be viewed here. In addition, it will launch a contest. People who have stories of couples that have stood the test of time can email them to lovestories at popeyes dot com. The brand will pick the most “heartwarming stories” and will feature them in an ad in The New York Times.
Popeyes will offer the $6.99 fried chicken special and Cajun Rice for a limited time in-store, online and on its app.
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