Why Is Popeyes Taking Over Airports and College Campuses? The Chicken Chain's VP Explains Its Strategy. The fried chicken franchise is implementing a clever long-term strategy.
This story appears in the January 2025 issue of BIZ Experiences. Subscribe »
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If you're at an airport or on a college campus anytime soon, keep an eye out for a Popeyes. Locations in these high-traffic areas have been key to the franchise's growth game plan this past year. "From a long-term strategy standpoint, those venues are really important for us," says Brian Lindley, vice president of development at Popeyes. "A lot of times, it's a place for us to make a connection with a customer who we maybe don't have a freestanding restaurant close to, but we might be able to build some brand affinity with them and just introduce the brand in a unique place. That's why we're really driving hard on that strategy."
By familiarizing new customers with the restaurant in a new place, these strategic locations also indirectly serve Popeyes franchisees across the country and beyond. Overall, the company has a global footprint of over 4,700 restaurants in more than 35 countries. It has also secured its fifth straight year in the Franchise 500's Top 10, placing at No. 4 overall this year.
Related: Here's how we determined the annual Franchise 500 ranking — and what we learned from the data.
In 2019, Popeyes learned the power of splashy new menu items after the immense success of its new chicken sandwich. Late in 2023, the restaurant introduced wings as a new permanent menu offering, and in summer 2024, it expanded the offering by adding boneless wings. The wings "have been an incredible boost for us, both in terms of building off flavors and continuing to really lean into our Louisiana heritage," Lindley says. "But also, obviously, it's great for customers and great for sales."
Adding wings to its menu not only allows the brand to give longtime customers something new to try, but it unlocks new affinity groups — namely football fans, looking for hot finger foods to share on game day.
In February 2024, Popeyes began pursuing this association in the most visible way possible by launching their first ever Super Bowl ad. The spot features comedic actor Ken Jeong emerging from a cryogenic chamber and discovering that Popeyes finally has chicken wings. Naturally, he brings the food along with him as he discovers the other wonders of the 21st century: robot vacuums, self-driving cars, and mixed-breed dogs.
"It's been really fun, but also a pretty fundamental piece of our growth opportunity," says Lindley.
Related: Explore the full 2025 Franchise 500 list, complete with category rankings.
