Popeyes, the iconic US fried chicken restaurant brand, announced its plan to enter the United Kingdom in 2021, with the goal of opening 350 new restaurants in the UK over the next 10 years as part of an ambitious European expansion plan, according to a press release.
Founded in New Orleans in Louisiana in 1972, Popeyes is a global player in the fried chicken market and currently boasts 3,400 restaurants across 29 countries. Today’s announcement builds on Popeyes® expansion in the European market and follows successful roll-outs in Spain in 2019 and Switzerland last year.
Popeyes will enter the UK market as part of an agreement between PLK Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (“RBI”), Ring International Holdings (“RIH”), and hospitality-industry veteran, Elias Diaz Sese. RIH is a family-owned international conglomerate led by Ralph Martens and guided by Ralph Lanckohr as CEO. Elias Diaz Sese is a former Executive of RBI.
The first Popeyes restaurant in the UK is expected to open by the end of 2021 and will represent the brand’s 11th country in Europe, the Middle East, and the Africa region, which already has more than 350 Popeyes restaurants.
Popeyes launch into the UK market is expected to lead to major investment in market-leading talent and digital innovation. Popeyes is also committed to bringing a market-leading digital experience to UK guests, utilizing personalization and the latest service channels to serve our guests in the iconic hospitable way that is characteristic of the brand.
“We are very pleased to launch Popeyes, a brand that has brought moments of celebration to guests globally, something we believe is important more now than ever. It allows us to contribute in hardship moments for the country by creating hundreds of career opportunities. We truly aspire to become an employer of reference for big-hearted talent through care, service, and supporting the neighborhoods in which we operate,” Elias Diaz Sese, co-founder of Popeyes UK said.