Popeyes®, the original Louisiana fried chicken, is finally making its way to New Zealand this year with its hero restaurant scheduled to open in April in Takanini, Auckland.
One of the world’s largest growing quick service restaurants, with over 4,300 restaurants worldwide, the Popeyes master franchisee in New Zealand (Popeyes MF – New Zealand) is set to open several more Popeyes restaurants around the country, in quick succession by the end of 2024, creating more than 150 jobs and bringing approximately $25 million of investment into the country in the coming years.
The legendary chicken joint is gearing up to open its doors in Takanini with a massive 300sqm spot at 106 Great South Road.
Popeyes is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (“RBI”), one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with over $40 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world’s most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands including BURGER KING®, TIM HORTONS®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®.
With a presence in nearly 40 markets around the world, Popeyes marks a new milestone with the launch in New Zealand following recent openings in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Indonesia and South Korea. The location for the first restaurant in Takanini plans to welcome the public from late April 2024 and will encompass a bespoke multi-million-dollar fitout across 300 square meterage over a prominent corner site.
Founded in Louisiana in 1972 by Al Copeland, Popeyes® distinguishes itself with a unique Louisiana style menu featuring Chicken Sandwiches, fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken wings, mash and Cajun gravy, mac and cheese and biscuits.
It is understood that Popeyes® marinates its chicken for twelve hours in a unique blend of bold spices and seasonings, then batters and breads each piece by hand, making this a delicious Chicken Sandwich Popeyes® uses proprietary seasonings and techniques developed by an in-house culinary team of chefs that allegedly makes its fried chicken a point of reference for Michelin Chefs and celebrities.
Sharn Phillips, Head of Marketing at Popeyes MF – New Zealand says, “We are thrilled to finally share the good news and let Kiwis know; the Chicken Sandwich that broke the internet will finally be ready for Kiwis to try themselves. Our vision is to bring the heart and soul of our world-renowned recipes to Kiwis, through passionate teams and tasty food. We cannot wait to see the reaction come opening day.”
General Manager of Popeyes MF – New Zealand, James Mclauchlan, adds, “The team has been working tirelessly to ensure the Popeyes® experience is top notch. We cannot wait to open our doors and share the iconic Popeyes® experience and incredible chicken that makes this brand so recognisable the world over. With the Takanini location announced and construction already underway, we are finally ready to get to work and find our team, who share a deep love for fried chicken, enriched by our team culture.”
The arrival of Popeyes® is also a win for local suppliers as the brand plans to heavily invest in local suppliers from construction to sale and of course, ensuring the quality of produce by sourcing fresh ingredients from Kiwi providers, nationwide.
Recruitment for the first Popeyes® store is now underway, with a call out going out far and wide. For more information, please head to: popeyes.co.nz.
