The Popeyes brand and Restaurant Brands Iberia, the parent of the master franchisees for Burger King Spain, Burger King Portugal, Popeyes Spain and Tim Hortons Spain, are announcing entry into a master franchise and development agreement to develop and grow the Popeyes brand in Italy.
Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes has more than 50 years of history and culinary tradition incorporating Cajun and Creole flavor profiles. Popeyes distinguishes itself with a unique New Orleans-style menu developed by an in-house team of professionally trained chefs that features the brand’s signature chicken sandwich, spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other regional items.
Popeyes chicken is freshly prepared, marinated for at least 12 hours, battered, breaded by hand using Popeyes' seasonings, then slow cooked.
“We’re very excited about growing the brand in Italy with RB Iberia, a long-term partner and strong operator. We have set ambitious expansion plans for our iconic brand, and today’s news highlights our commitment to serving Popeyes bold Louisiana flavors to more guests around the world ... ” said David Shear, president of international, Restaurant Brands International, parent company of Popeyes.
"We are thrilled to spearhead the launch of Popeyes in Italy. It is an iconic brand, that has been well-received in Spain, and we are fully committed to its success within the Group," said Gregorio Jiménez, chairman of Restaurant Brands Iberia. "Our company excels in managing master franchises, so we have a great business opportunity ahead of us, which will contribute to job creation in Italy and diversify the QSR market for our Mediterranean neighbor."
Popeyes is one of one of the world's largest chicken quick-service restaurant brands with over 4,300 restaurants in over 35 countries around the world. This agreement marks a continuation of Popeyes expansion plan in Europe, with Popeyes restaurants already present in Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Romania, France, and more recently in Poland and the Czech Republic.
The first Popeyes restaurant in Italy is scheduled to open later in 2024.
