Bristol is to get a branch of Popeyes fried chicken restaurant for the first time this year, the US company has announced.
Exactly where the Popeyes restaurant will be opening in Bristol – and when – is yet to be confirmed, but it is understood to be a prominent location in the city centre and in the first few months of 2025.
The announcements comes as the UK version of the US chain announced it would be opening 45 new restaurants across the country, and has a medium term target of 350 sites. Last year, the Miami-based chain opened its 65th restaurant in the UK, and a new chicken sandwich went viral on social media last year, increasing the clamour for the restaurants.
One opened in Exeter last year, and back then, Popeye bosses said they were looking at moving to Bristol ‘in the next decade’. This week, they announced it would happen this year, cementing the chain’s place as one of the fastest growing brands in the country.
“The new sites planned for 2025 will span multiple formats and channels, including eat-in restaurants, drive thru sites, and delivery kitchens, spanning high street units and travel hubs including rail and roadside locations,” said a spokesperson. “The openings will create approximately 2,500 new jobs across the UK as the business targets sales of more than £200m in 2025.
“The company’s expansion plans follow on from a year of transformational growth in 2024 when it opened 33 locations, sold the equivalent of one sandwich every three seconds, and delivered a 100% increase in total sales to more than £118m, equating to above £2m per week on average,” they added.
Tom Crowley, Popeyes UK’s chief executive, said 2025 was ‘set to be another incredibly exciting year’
“Our ambitious roll-out strategy – which will see us open, on average, close to one new site per week in the coming 12 months – will mean that we can bring joy to even more customers across the country, from breakfast through to late night. At the same time, we are looking forward to welcoming around 2,500 new team members in the year ahead to support our expansion plans, all the while continuing our clear focus on exciting menu and technology innovation,” he said.