Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits is a chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants that is controlled by Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises, which is also the operator of Church's Chicken and Cinnabon.
Popeyes first opened in Arabi, Louisiana, a suburb outside New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972 as "Chicken on the Run," a chicken restaurant owned by Al Copeland. The name was changed shortly afterwards, but it was not named after Popeye the Sailor, as one might surmise. Instead it is named after the fictional detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in the movie The French Connection (in turn based on a real detective Eddie Egan, whose nickname did not derive from the cartoon character, either). The chain would later license the cartoon characters for use as a promotional tool, which added to the confusion as to the source. Recently, however, Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits has omitted the use of "Popeye the Sailor" in promotions; one reason given was the inability to market their food effectively with a sailor character.
Copeland became very wealthy as the chain franchised out across the USA, and then overseas. He became an icon in the New Orleans area due to his flamboyant lifestyle, including his eponymous power boat racing teams, and his annual Christmas light show at his mansion. When Copeland bought out Church's, financial pressures forced him to sell the chain, but he retains the rights to the spice mix still in use.
Today, the chicken can be ordered mild or spicy and is usually served with a cajun-style side dish. Side dishes include red beans and rice, Cajun rice, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, jambalaya, and corn on the cob. There have been other items on the menu such as the crawfish Po-Boy and shrimp etouffee. The buildings have a distinctive red and yellow color scheme, and TV and radio ads often use a New Orleans style jazz-type music, along with the trademark "Luv dat chicken..." jingle sung by Dr. John.
The chain has become a common icon in the media. A "Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits" sign appeared in the movie and subsequent comic book adaptations of Supergirl in 1984, as well as appearing in several backgrounds in various DC comics during that era. Most recently, the chain found some increased popularity due to its reference in the 2000 movie Little Nicky, starring Adam Sandler.
