Hype Monster American Fried Chicken Chain Commences Massive UK Expansion

American fried chicken chain Popeyes which made waves when making its U.K. debut in Stratford’s Westfield shopping centre in November 2021, will commence its aggressive rollout when a first sit-down restaurant opens at Stonebridge House in Chelmsford, Essex on Saturday 11 June.

The Louisiana-based brand dialled up the hypometer in London last autumn, with queues for chicken sandwiches and sundaes reportedly lasting for up to three hours. It is a brand which has gained colossal worldwide notoriety, in part thanks to celebrity approvals: Beyoncé and Jay Z served it at their wedding; the Kardashians eat it in their private jet; and Kanyé West has repeatedly, if inadvertently, endorsed its wares.

The company has said it wants to open 350 restaurants across the U.K. by 2031. It has also opened a delivery only ghost kitchen in Whitechapel, east London.

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Chelmsford is no stranger to American fast food brands dipping their toe in regional British markets. Taco Bell operated a stealth venue there before reopening sites in the capital. Five Guys, another of the more recent wave of fast food chains expanding across London and the U.K. also has a site in the Essex town.

Next stop ... Carlisle?