Who Owns Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen?

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen was founded in 1972 by Al Copeland in the New Orleans suburb of Arabi, Louisiana. Originally opened as "Chicken on the Run," the restaurant initially struggled with its mild Southern-fried chicken offering. After closing briefly, Copeland reopened with a bolder, spicier recipe influenced by traditional New Orleans and Cajun cuisine, renaming it "Popeyes" (deliberately without an apostrophe) after the character Popeye Doyle from the 1971 film "The French Connection."

The brand's distinctive flavor profile rapidly gained popularity, and by 1975, Copeland began franchising the concept. The first franchise location opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, initiating a period of steady regional growth throughout the southeastern United States. In 1976, Popeyes introduced its signature buttermilk biscuits, which would become one of the brand's defining menu items alongside its spicy fried chicken.

The 1980s marked a period of significant expansion for Popeyes. In 1983, the chain opened its 500th location, and by 1985 had established an international presence with restaurants in Canada. Corporate changes followed in 1989 when Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits was acquired by AFC (America's Favorite Chicken Company), which also owned competitor Church's Chicken at the time. This acquisition occurred after Copeland's company, Al Copeland Enterprises, filed for bankruptcy following an unsuccessful hostile takeover attempt of Church's.

Under AFC ownership, Popeyes continued its expansion through the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1999, the company introduced a new restaurant design featuring a more contemporary appearance while maintaining visual elements that reflected its New Orleans heritage. A significant rebrand occurred in 2008 when Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits officially changed its name to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen to emphasize its culinary roots and authentic regional flavors.

In February 2017, Restaurant Brands International (RBI) acquired Popeyes for $1.8 billion, bringing the chain into a portfolio that already included Burger King and Tim Hortons. The acquisition provided Popeyes with enhanced resources for global expansion and operational improvements, while RBI gained entry into the fast-growing chicken segment of the quick-service restaurant industry.

A watershed moment in the brand's history came in August 2019 with the launch of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, which triggered a viral phenomenon dubbed the "Chicken Sandwich Wars" with competitors like Chick-fil-A. The sandwich's overwhelming popularity led to nationwide sellouts within two weeks and generated an estimated $65 million in equivalent media value. The product's reintroduction in November 2019 solidified its status as a permanent menu fixture and drove significant traffic increases.

Under RBI's ownership, Popeyes accelerated its global expansion strategy. Between 2020 and 2023, the brand entered 25 new international markets including the United Kingdom, South Korea, Romania, France, and India. By 2024, Popeyes reached a milestone of 4,000 global restaurants across 45 countries, representing a nearly 30% increase in total restaurant count since the RBI acquisition.

Recent years have brought further innovation to the Popeyes brand. In 2023, the company launched a comprehensive restaurant redesign program called "IGNITE," featuring updated kitchen configurations optimized for digital order fulfillment and improved drive-thru experiences. In 2024, Popeyes completed the implementation of AI-powered drive-thru ordering systems at over 60% of its North American locations.

In January 2025, Popeyes announced a strategic expansion in Mexico through local partnerships expected to add more than 300 new locations by 2030, significantly strengthening the brand's presence in Latin America. Most recently, in February 2026, the company unveiled its new "Heritage 2.0" restaurant design concept emphasizing the brand's New Orleans roots while incorporating advanced sustainability features, including energy-efficient equipment and solar panels, as part of RBI's broader climate commitment.