Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants, is opening a new location in Santee at 10308 Mission Gorge Rd.
This time last year, franchise owner David Beshay was approved by the city council for a nearly half-acre parcel at the corner of Mission Gorge Road and Cottonwood Avenue that would eventually be turned into a Popeyes. Now, the franchise owner is moving forward with this location, recently submitting plans to the San Diego Environmental Health and Quality. Plans are still in review, but the site is expected to open this year. The new 1,740-square-foot restaurant will replace a King Stahlman Bail Bonds office.
When the new Popeyes opens, it will sit near the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility and next to Ferny’s Mexican Grill. The restaurant will have seating for 18 people inside, two drive-through lanes, and no outdoor seating. Beshay owns several other Popeyes Louisiana Kitchens, including two opened last year in San Ysidro and South San Diego, as well as Denny’s, Jack in the Box, and Corner Bakery.
Popeye’s recently made a historic decision by permanently adding five new flavors to the restaurant’s menu. Starting in November, the company announced the addition of five signature flavors with varying degrees of kick – Honey BBQ, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Signature Hot, Ghost Pepper, and Sweet N Spicy. Each exciting flavor features hand-battered and breaded crispy chicken wings.
“At Popeyes, we like to challenge the status quo and are consistently redefining what’s expected from fast food brands,” Sami Siddiqui, President of Popeyes North America, said in a press release. “Ghost Pepper Wings were an overnight success, followed by the addition of Sweet’ N Spicy wings, our best-performing product since the infamous Chicken Sandwich. We know our guests want even more bold Louisiana-inspired wing flavors to choose from and are excited to see our new wings line-up take flight.”
