Beyoncé Gets Free Popeyes for Life — and Other Surprising Facts About the Chicken Chain Do you think you know everything about Popeyes? Dive into these 10 intriguing facts about the chicken giant that will surprise you.
By Clarissa Buch Zilberman Edited by Carl Stoffers
Key Takeaways
- With over 4,000 locations worldwide, Popeyes has grown from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon.
- Contrary to popular belief, the brand is not named for the cartoon sailor.
- Beyond its New Orleans-style fried chicken, the brand has made significant strides in community engagement and corporate responsibility.
Known for its crispy, flavorful, and affordable meals — and that unforgettable jingle — Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has built a loyal customer base for deacades. The brand, which has soared to the third spot on the 2024 Franchise 500 Ranking, also claims the title of the top-ranked chicken franchise.
With over 4,000 locations worldwide, Popeyes has become a destination for fans of its New Orleans-style fried chicken. From its humble beginnings to becoming a global phenomenon, Popeyes has a rich history filled with innovation that has set it apart in the competitive fast-food industry. But beyond the food, Popeyes has also made significant strides in community engagement and corporate responsibility.
Do you think you know everything about the iconic chicken brand with the iconic jingle? Dive into these 10 intriguing facts about Popeyes that might surprise you — and deepen your appreciation for this fast-food powerhouse.
1. Popeyes is named after Popeye Doyle.
Many people might associate the name "Popeyes" with the cartoon sailor who eats spinach, but founder Al Copeland actually named his restaurant after Popeye Doyle, the tough, no-nonsense police detective played by Gene Hackman in the 1971 film "The French Connection." This bit of trivia often surprises those who assume the name comes from the popular animated character.
2. Yes, Popeyes should have an apostrophe.
For the sticklers out there who like to point out everyone's grammar mistakes, Popeyes may drive you wild. The correct spelling should be "Popeye's", but at the time of creating the brand, Al Copeland said he could not afford the apostrophe.
3. Beyonce has free Popeyes for life.
Beyoncé has expressed her love for Popeyes on several occasions. She reportedly had Popeyes at her wedding and mentioned in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she has a "free-Popeyes-for-life card" card.
4. The chicken spice recipe cost $43 million.
The Copeland family, who founded Popeyes, retained the rights to the famous Popeyes chicken recipe for many years. Popeyes paid royalties to the Copeland family for the use of this recipe. In 2014, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. purchased the rights to the recipe for $43 million. However, the Copeland family continued to own the rights to the proprietary spice blend used in the chicken. This purchase allowed Popeyes to have greater control over its signature recipe while still maintaining the unique flavors that distinguish its food.
5. The chicken sandwich took 2 years to create.
Popeyes set out to make a chicken sandwich (to compete with you know who), and the development process involved countless workshops and taste tests over the course of more than two years. The effort culminated in the launch of the Popeyes chicken sandwich in August 2019.
6. The chicken sandwich sold out in 2 weeks.
The August 2019 launch was accompanied by a strong social media campaign, which led to an overwhelming demand. Due to the immense popularity, Popeyes completely sold out of the sandwich by August 27, 2019, just two weeks after its launch. The sandwich was relaunched on November 2, 2019, with even more excitement and demand.
7. Popeyes gives back with Food Love Grants.
Popeyes places a strong emphasis on giving back to the community, and the Popeyes Food Love Grants program is a key part of this commitment. The program focuses on awarding grants to nonprofits that serve food to those in need within local communities, such as school meal programs and natural disaster responses. In 2023, more than 60 local nonprofits received grants through this program, highlighting Popeyes' dedication to supporting and uplifting communities.
Related: These Franchises Are Big-Time Earners Right Now, and They're Fun!
8. Success came with spicy chicken.
Al Copeland's first chicken restaurant was actually named Chicken on the Run, and he served traditional, non-spicy Southern chicken. Unfortunately, the restaurant was not too successful, and Copeland rebranded to Popeyes. He also rebranded his chicken and added a Cajun kick, after which he started to see much more success.
9. Dr. John created the jingle.
Dr. John was a New Orleans musician who amassed six Grammy's and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is credited with writing and performing the "Love that Chicken" jingle in 1980, which can still be heard on Popeyes commercials today.
10. The chicken sandwich is a big hit with the military
Popeyes has locations on various military installations around the world, including in places like Japan, Germany, and Guam. These locations also participated in the excitement of the Popeyes chicken sandwich craze in 2019 — even prompting the Military Times to joke that the wildly popular sandwich was "Hurting Military Readiness."
