Popeyes has revealed the location of its first UK outlet, announcing it will be opening a restaurant in London’s Westfield Stratford shopping centre in November. The 1,531sq ft unit was former occupied by KFC.
Other new store openings will be announced soon, with drive thru locations likely to feature.
The business is led in the UK by chief executive Tom Crowley. Crowley was formerly managing director at Giraffe Concepts and CEO of Boparan Restaurant Group.
Popeyes has been building its UK management team, appointing Tom Byng, formerly of Fulham Shore, as its chief development officer; David Carey, ex-The Restaurant Group, as chief technology officer; Neil Williamson, formerly of Krispy Kreme UK and McDonald’s, as chief operating officer; Vicky Barber, formerly of Franco Manca and PizzaExpress, as its chief marketing officer; and Lucy Craig, formerly of Grind & Co and Bill’s Restaurants, as its head of people.
While the full menu for Popeyes UK has not yet been confirmed, staple items over in the States include the signature fried chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and sides like biscuits, coleslaw, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes with gravy and red beans with rice.
In a statement Crowley said: “It’s fantastic to be opening our first UK location, following the months of anticipation and buzz the news of our arrival generated. Our vision for our UK launch is ambitious and bold, and we felt a shared sense of purpose with Westfield Stratford City when we were on the hunt for our first restaurant. We are confident it is the perfect partner to help us kick-start our entry into the UK market.
All our locations will be carefully chosen, in communities that echo the Louisianan spirit synonymous with Popeyes. We’re looking forward to unveiling our next sites in due course and revealing more about our expansion into new locations in 2022 and beyond.
The pandemic has accelerated changing consumer habits, and this has closely informed our UK real estate strategy. Experiential retail and customer convenience will be key to the recovery of bricks and mortar post-covid, which is why we’re making in-store experiences and drive-throughs a central part of our UK rollout. This will be further enhanced by our digital-first offering.”
