Fans of one of the most popular fast-food fried chicken sandwiches will no longer have to venture out of Vancouver proper to get their hands on the goods, as Popeyes reveals it will open its first two locations in the city.
A representative for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen shared with V.I.A. by email they will open a location in downtown Vancouver on Hamilton Street and one on Main Street "later this year." Exact addresses were not made available.
In addition, Popeyes will also be opening in Burnaby's Metrotown later in 2022. There is currently a Popeyes on Kingsway in Burnaby.
The fried chicken chain's Metro Vancouver expansion will find a Coquiltam location, with drive-through, opening in August.
Further afield in B.C., by the end of July there will be a Popeyes up and running in Courtenay on Vancouver Island.
While Popeyes is known for its Louisiana-style fried chicken with gravy and sides, the fast-food franchise caused a sensation a few years back with its fried chicken sandwich. The menu item generated long lines, supply shortages and — in one case — deadly violence south of the border. The sandwich made its way to Canada in 2020, after a brief pandemic-related delay.
The first Popeyes to open in Metro Vancouver was in Port Coquitlam; the restaurant made its debut back at the end of 2018.
Popeyes started in a suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972, and began as "Chicken on the Run." It's was a slow start for the chicken operation, and the owner folded it, then relaunched with a spicier recipe and a new name: Popeyes. Their first Canadian location was in Toronto, opening in 1984.
