Fans of Southern fried chicken can find a new addition to their palate when work completes at the new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The fast casual eatery applied for construction at 5615 Beeler St. in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, according to Denver planning docs.
Founder Al Copeland opened the first fried restaurant fifty years ago in New Orleans, serving up Southern fried chicken. In 1976, Copeland doubled down, adding a nearby store — Popeyes’ first franchise. Five decades later, Copeland’s “one big idea” is now one huge franchise with over 3,000 restaurants serving rich, affordable grub across the United States and Canada.
Fueling the fast casual eatery’s recent expansion was a second Popeyes craze in 2019: the release of its chicken sandwich. Demand was so great that the new item sold out in just two weeks (per CNN). Even after restocking, lines stretched through restaurant doors. Soaring revenues followed, according to the official Popeyes timeline.
In the coming months, those chicken sandwiches, alongside shrimp rolls, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, and Popeyes signature chicken boxes, will be available in northwest Denver for the first time. Patrons can toss in sides like macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, Cajun fries, and red beans and rice to complete the classic Southern meal.
Customers can expect to step into a shiny upgraded setting at the old school franchise. The new Denver store will come on the heels of a November 2022 announcement to invest $250 million “toward updating restaurant tech, kitchens and remodeling,” CNN reported.
Ummm…NW Denver? I think you must mean NE. Guessing you aren’t from the area, nor do you know your compass points.