LOVE THAT CHICKEN FROM POPEYES
Take a tasty trip through time to learn about the evolution of our locally-borne, world-famous brand. By Emily Hingle
Louisianians love that chicken from Popeyes, and the New Orleans-style fried chicken restaurant is loved all over the world. From its humble beginnings in Arabi to becoming a worldwide sensation, Popeyes has proven itself time and time again as a top contender in fast food.
Will the real inspiration for the name Popeyes please stand up… 30
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Popeyes was conceived by the late eccentric and genius businessman Al Copeland. Al worked at several nowiconic local food brands as a young man. He left school at the age of 16 and worked at Schwegmann’s Grocery in Gentilly and at Tastee Donut, which Al’s brother Gil partially owned. At the age of 18, Al sold his car to purchase a Tastee Donut from Gil, and it was there that he learned how to manage a food service business. In his late 20s, Al decided to open a new restaurant that would serve traditional southern fried chicken. He opened Chicken on the Run in Arabi on June 12, 1972, but it closed down after just a few months. Four days later, the restaurant reopened with the
new name and a new style of fried chicken. Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken, named after Popeye Doyle of The French Connection, served a spicier fried chicken that was a huge hit with customers. By 1975, the restaurant changed its name to Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken. Al knew that he had a business model and recipes that could be very successful, so he quickly started franchising Popeyes. The first franchise opened in Baton Rouge in 1976. You may remember Popeyes being synonymous with Popeye the Sailor. Though it wasn’t named for the beloved cartoon character, Popeyes obtained the rights from King Features Syndicate to use the characters from the show for their marketing, decoration, and packaging for 35 years. The fledgling chain also sponsored Popeye & Pals cartoons on local television. The menu in the early days looked very different than it does today. You could get buckets of fried chicken, but the dinners you could order included clams and livers and gizzards. The dinners were served with your choice of rice dressing and a roll or French fries and a roll. The side
PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE ROM TOP: POPEYES; KING FEATURES SYNDICATE; 20TH CENTURY-FOX / THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Popeyes Chicken sandwich became a national sensation
