Claire Thompson
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., formerly known as America's Favorite Chicken Company, Inc. (AFC), is a quick-service chicken restaurant chain with over 3,800 locations worldwide. The company was founded by Al Copeland in 1972 as Chicken on the Run in Arabi, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. After facing initial challenges, Copeland rebranded the restaurant as Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken, which later became Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken. Over the years, Popeyes expanded through franchising, first within Louisiana and then internationally, starting with Canada in 1984. The company introduced popular menu items, such as buttermilk biscuits and Cajun-style sides, and gained a loyal following for its Louisiana-style chicken and hometown-inspired flavors. In 2017, Popeyes was acquired by Restaurant Brands International, continuing its growth and expansion globally.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founder | Al Copeland |
| Year founded | 1972 |
| Original name | Chicken on the Run |
| Reason for name change | Original restaurant failed |
| New name | Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken |
| Year current name adopted | 1975 |
| Parent company | America's Favorite Chicken Company, Inc. (AFC) |
| Year franchising began | 1976 |
| First international location | Toronto, Canada |
| Year sold to Restaurant Brands International | 2017 |
| Number of restaurants globally | 3,800 |
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What You'll Learn
Al Copeland founded Popeyes
Copeland founded Popeyes in 1972 in Arabi, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. Originally called "Chicken on the Run", Copeland wanted to compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). However, the restaurant failed after a few months. Copeland reopened with the new name "Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken" (or "Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken"). Copeland claimed the name "Popeyes" was inspired by the film character Popeye Doyle from the 1971 film "The French Connection", rather than the cartoon sailor.
After 13 months, and the opening of a second store, Copeland changed the name to "Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken". By 1976, Copeland had begun franchising his restaurant, with the first franchise opening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Over the next decade, approximately 500 outlets were added, and by 1985, Popeyes had 500 restaurants. In 1989, Copeland purchased Church's Chicken, the second-largest fried chicken chain, to add to his existing 800 restaurants. However, this expansion led to financial difficulties, and in 1991, Copeland Enterprises filed for bankruptcy. Copeland lost control of Popeyes but retained the rights to some recipes and products.
Despite his business setbacks, Copeland was known for his flamboyant lifestyle and became a local celebrity in New Orleans. He was renowned for his annual Christmas light display, which attracted crowds and even caused traffic issues. Copeland also ran a Secret Santa program at Christmas, ensuring that 1,000 children in New Orleans received gifts. In 2008, the Al Copeland Foundation was established in his honour, focusing on cancer research and treatment.
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Copeland spent 10 years in the doughnut business prior to founding Popeyes
Al Copeland, the founder of Popeyes, spent 10 years in the doughnut business before creating his first restaurant that sold chicken. Copeland was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in humble beginnings. After dropping out of high school at 16, he worked at a supermarket and then for a doughnut chain partially owned by his brother, Gil. At 18, Copeland sold his car to purchase a doughnut shop from his brother. This experience exposed him to the restaurant business and franchising.
In the early 1970s, Copeland was inspired by the success of a Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in New Orleans. He used the profits from his doughnut business to open a restaurant called \"Chicken on the Run\". Unfortunately, the original restaurant failed after a few months, so Copeland renamed it "Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken", which became "Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken". Copeland started franchising his new restaurant in 1976, beginning in Louisiana. By 1985, Popeyes had expanded to Canada and opened its 500th restaurant.
In addition to his success with Popeyes, Copeland owned several other restaurant chains, including "Copeland's", "Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro", "Amor de Brazil", "Straya", and "Copeland's Social City". He also owned Improv comedy clubs in California and Pittsburgh, as well as three hotels. Copeland became a local celebrity in New Orleans through his annual Christmas light display, which attracted national media attention.
Copeland's early years in the doughnut business provided him with the experience and financial resources to eventually establish Popeyes, which has become a successful and well-known fried chicken chain.
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Copeland first opened the restaurant as Chicken on the Run
Copeland's first foray into the food industry came in the early 1960s when he spent around ten years in the doughnut business. He then opened his first restaurant selling chicken, inspired by the opening of a KFC restaurant in New Orleans. Copeland added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and other secret Cajun-inspired hot spices to his chicken recipe. He also created recipes for dirty rice and hand-rolled biscuits during this time.
When Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken reopened in 1972, it was initially named Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken. After 13 months and the opening of a second store, the name was changed to Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken. Copeland started franchising his restaurant in 1976, beginning in Louisiana. By 1989, Copeland owned the third-biggest fried chicken chain in the US and borrowed heavily to buy the second-biggest chain, Church's Chicken.
Copeland was a local celebrity in New Orleans, known for his annual Christmas light display. He was also known for his flamboyant lifestyle, which included gaudy Christmas decorations and ever-more-elaborate weddings.
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Copeland renamed the restaurant to Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. is an American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants. It was founded by Alvin Charles "Big Al" Copeland, also known as Al Copeland, in 1972. Copeland spent a decade in the doughnut business before opening his first chicken restaurant. He named the restaurant after Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, a character in the 1971 film "The French Connection", starring Gene Hackman. Copeland wanted to compete with KFC, and his initial restaurant, ""Chicken on the Run", failed to impress locals with its bland recipes.
Copeland reopened the restaurant four days later as "Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken". He added a kick of spice to his recipes and rebranded the restaurant with a new name and sign. This time, the restaurant took off, and by 1975, the company was renamed "Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken". Copeland began franchising his restaurant in 1976, starting in Louisiana, and the chain expanded rapidly. By 1985, Popeyes had opened its 500th restaurant, and the company continued to grow.
In 1989, Popeyes purchased Church's Chicken, a rival fast-food chain, creating a combined company with over 2,000 locations. However, this merger resulted in significant financial burdens, and by 1991, Copeland Enterprises was struggling with debts totalling over $400 million. The company filed for bankruptcy protection, and a plan was approved by the court to create America's Favorite Chicken Company, Inc. (AFC) as the new parent company for Popeyes and Church's. Copeland lost control of Popeyes but retained the rights to some recipes and products.
Popeyes has continued to expand and introduce new menu items, becoming a well-known name in the fast-food industry. Today, Popeyes has thousands of restaurants worldwide, offering its famous fried chicken and biscuits to customers across the globe. The company has encountered setbacks, but Copeland's legacy lives on through the successful chain he founded, now a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International.
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Copeland Enterprises defaulted on $391 million in debt in 1990
Copeland Enterprises, the parent company of Popeyes, defaulted on $391 million in debt in November 1990. The company had taken on this debt in its 1989 purchase of Church's, a rival fast-food chain also focusing on fried chicken. The acquisition of Church's was highly leveraged and based on a "dream to restore its vitality," according to Al Copeland, the founder of Popeyes and chairman of Copeland Enterprises.
The default occurred because Copeland Enterprises failed to make separate principal and interest payments to its two primary lenders, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Merrill Lynch, in September 1990. The company incurred a net loss of $5.2 million for the quarter and a year-to-date loss of $19.1 million. Despite this, the company's revenues through the third quarter ended September 9 were $330 million, up from $266.4 million the same period the previous year.
The default on debt payments put Copeland Enterprises in danger of bankruptcy if one of its lenders demanded immediate payment. The company held out Chapter 11 reorganization as a possibility and retained First Boston Corp. of New York to restructure its debt obligations. Observers and analysts believed that the lenders would have little choice but to restructure the debt.
In April 1991, Copeland Enterprises filed for bankruptcy law protection when attempts to restructure its debts failed. A settlement plan emerged during the summer that would have given Merrill Lynch about 85 percent ownership of the company. However, in October 1992, Judge Frank Monroe chose a different reorganization plan that resulted in the creation of America's Favorite Chicken Company, Inc. (AFC) as the new parent company for Popeyes and Church's.
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Frequently asked questions
Popeye's Chicken was founded by Al Copeland in 1972.
Copeland spent 10 years in the doughnut business before opening his first restaurant that sold chicken. He wanted to compete with KFC.
The original name of Popeye's Chicken was "Chicken on the Run".
Popeye's Chicken was bought by Restaurant Brands International in 2017.
