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Known for its crispy, tasty and affordable meals – and its unforgettable jingle – Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has built a loyal customer base over decades. The brand, which moved up to third place in the 2024 Franchise 500 rankings, also claims the title of top-ranked chicken franchise.
With over 4,000 locations worldwide, Popeyes has become a destination for fans of its New Orleans-style chicken. From its humble beginnings to its rise to global phenomenon, Popeyes has a rich history of innovation that has made it stand out in the competitive fast-food industry. But beyond the food, Popeyes has also made significant strides in community involvement and corporate responsibility.
Think you know everything about the iconic chicken brand with the iconic jingle? Dive into these 10 fascinating facts about Popeyes that might surprise you — and deepen your appreciation for this fast-food powerhouse.
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1. Popeyes is named after Popeye Doyle.
Many people may associate the name “Popeyes” with the spinach-eating cartoon sailor, but founder Al Copeland actually named his restaurant after Popeye Doyle, the tough, badass police detective played by Gene Hackman in the 1971 film “The French Connection.” This little detail often surprises those who assume the name comes from the popular cartoon character.
2. Yes, Popeyes should have an apostrophe.
For the pedants among you who like to point out everyone's grammatical errors, Popeyes might drive you crazy. The correct spelling should be “Popeye's,” but when he created the brand, Al Copeland said he couldn't afford the apostrophe.
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3. Beyoncé gets free Popeyes for life.
Beyoncé has expressed her love for Popeyes on numerous occasions. She reportedly had Popeyes at her wedding and mentioned in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she had a “free Popeyes a lifetime card.”
4. The recipe for the chicken seasoning cost $43 million.
The Copeland family, which founded Popeyes, retained the rights to the famous Popeyes chicken recipe for many years. Popeyes paid the Copeland family royalties for the use of this recipe. In 2014, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. purchased the rights to the recipe for $43 million. However, the Copeland family still owned the rights to the proprietary spice blend used on the chicken. This purchase allowed Popeyes to have more control over its signature recipe while retaining the unique flavors that distinguish its food.
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5. The chicken sandwich took two years to develop.
Popeyes wanted to create a chicken sandwich (to compete with you-know-who), and the development process involved countless workshops and taste tests over a period of more than two years. The effort culminated in the launch of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich in August 2019.
6. The chicken sandwich sold out in 2 weeks.
The launch in August 2019 was accompanied by a strong social media campaign that resulted in overwhelming demand. Due to the immense popularity, the sandwich was completely sold out at Popeyes by August 27, 2019, just two weeks after its launch. The sandwich was re-launched on November 2, 2019 to even greater excitement and demand.
7. Popeyes gives back with Food Love Grants.
Popeyes places a strong emphasis on giving back to the community, and the Popeyes Food Love Grants program is an important part of that commitment. The program focuses on awarding grants to nonprofits that provide food to those in need in local communities, such as school meal programs and disaster relief. In 2023, more than 60 local nonprofits received grants through this program, underscoring Popeyes' commitment to supporting and empowering communities.
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8. Success came with spicy chicken.
Al Copeland's first chicken restaurant was actually called “Chicken on the Run” and served traditional, non-spicy Southern chicken. Unfortunately, the restaurant was not very successful and Copeland renamed it “Popeyes.” He also renamed his chicken and added a Cajun twist, after which he had much more success.
9. Dr. John created the jingle.
Dr. John was a New Orleans musician who received six Grammy Awards and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is credited with writing and performing the 1980 jingle “Love that Chicken,” which can still be heard in Popeyes commercials today.
Related: Find out which brands have been on the Franchise 500 list the longest and earned a place in our new Hall of Fame.
10. The chicken sandwich is a big hit with the military
Popeyes has locations on various military bases around the world, including Japan, Germany and Guam. These locations were also involved in the excitement of the Popeyes chicken sandwich craze in 2019 – which even led Military Times to joke that the wildly popular sandwich was “harming military readiness.”
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