more Popeye's!

[zfwp]

i would have preferred more Pollo Campero's... Popeye's bought a bunch of locations out of a KFC bankruptcy. a creditor confirmed about the company what many of us thought about the food;

"The franchisee's main creditor, GE Capital, preferred the smaller Popeyes offer and expressed a palpable distrust of KFC in the Minneapolis courtroom of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Nancy Dreher."

http://www.startribune.com/business/1...

[bohemianclub]

http://www.startribune.com/business/1...

[Bobannon]

I just logged in to say essentially the same thing...I drove by Brooklyn Park tonight at 9:30 and there were about 10 cars in the drive thru line,...there was actually a traffic jam trying to get in and out. I decided to wait until the excitement dies down. Crystal still isn't open.

[Bobannon]

I drove by again on Sunday and there was another huge traffic jam at Popeye's Brooklyn Park. Then last night when I went to Target, I noticed they had actually hired people to manage the traffic! There were about 15 cars in line. I didn't realize there was so much love for Popeye's in BP. It's not that far to Lake Street.

[steve_in_stpaul]

Novelty, I think, is part of it. There were big lines at Krispy Kreme and Sonic when they first arrived, and look at them now.

And as I measure it, it's at least 20 minutes from BP to Lake Street, maybe longer during dinner/rush hour. Popeye's is not worth a 40-50 minute round trip, IMHO.

[sdalton29]

Yes, I totally agree. I was shocked when I saw the closed Sonic in West St. Paul that was only a couple years old. Sonics in the South will close, only to reopen even bigger!!

[John E.]

I remember Popeye's was doing a promotion a few years ago and were selling an 8 piece 'bucket' of fried chicken for $4. There was general outrage when it was discovered that the only local Popeye's franchise, on Lake Street, was not participating in the national promotion. People called the police they were so outraged. There was television news coverage. People complained that they had taken taxis to get to Popeye's for the chicken promotion or that they changed buses three times just to get there. I'm not surprised at what is happening in Brooklyn Park. I am sure that what happened on Lake Street a few years ago had something to do with why it was decided to buy 14 KFC locations out of bankruptcy and replace some of them with Popeye's locations.

[steamer]

I saw one on 28th near Chicago about a month ago in place of the sleazy KFC that had been there. It was painted yellow and a sign just said opening soon. There seems to be a lot of interest in this, I wonder why the company that owns them is being so coy about when and where the stores will be open.

[GutGrease]

Not sure why.

The Richfield store on 66th at the Hub has been dormant for a while. There is zero work being done to it, as evidenced by the lack of any tire tracks indicating a construction vehicle working on the inside.

I'd rather see them do something with that location, like Aida did with the old Taco Bell down the road....but I'm sure that fried chicken does decent across from a highschool

[sdalton29]

Maybe they are basing how many locations to finish up and open on whether they have to pay $7.25 or $9.00 minimum wage.

[Jordan]

Yeah -- I drove by Richfield again today. It's been painted yellow, and a temporary "Louisiana Kitchen Coming Soon" sign is up. There's plywood over the windows, but it doesn't look like anything else is being done right now.

[sdalton29]

I don't know.. I don't think Popeye's is coming to town. The one on University and Lexington has been sitting for 3 months now with no work done on it. The location in Rosemount was to become a Popeye's is now for sale. Maybe the deal did not work out.. too bad to hear.

[BigE]

The one in Mounds View (Hwy. 10/35W) looks pretty well changed over, but hasn't opened yet. I'll drive by it again tomorrow, so we'll see where it's at.

[Bobannon]

The Crystal location has had a lot of work too and the Crystal Shopping Center sign says "Popeye's coming soon!"

[sdalton29]

Bobannon and BigE,

Glad to see your replies. Sounds like we will be seeing some more PopEyes in the TCs. I will see if the one on Lexington and University has put up a "Coming Soon" sign.

[John E.]

I drove by a former Kentucky Fried Chicken location on Rice Street and Larpenter in St. Paul and it had a sign saying Popeye's was coming soon. The former Kentucky Fried Chicken location on County Road 10 in Mounds View has a for sale sign and does not appear to be destined to become a Popeye's location.

[Jordan]

The Richfield one (66th & Nicollet) has a coming soon sign. Patch reported that they'll open in the spring.

[Bobannon]

I drove by Richfield last week and there was a Louisiana Chicken cafe sign on the building.

[bohemianclub]

The one in Eagan at Cliff and Cedar has a for sale sign posted . . .

[kevin47]

The one in Brooklyn Center seems also to have halted progress.

[NugarifiK]

Ditto for the location off I-94 & White Bear Ave S. It was painted a couple months ago but now its boarded up and stalled out.

[FrankPierce]

The one on 92nd? and Lyndale in Bloomington and the Coon Rapids location on Northdale both have the Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen logos up. Moundsview was painted but has a For Sale sign out front.

[puddin head]

timely article in the pioneer press! looks like they are still on, just maybe not all the old KFC locations

http://www.twincities.com/entertainme...

[The Dairy Queen]

Strange that they mention the Cleveland Ave location in St. Paul as being "one of the affected" locations, but don't bother to mention that it's already up and running...as Sakana Sushi.

~TDQ

[sdalton29]

You are expecting the news reporters to do some research.. that is way too much work when they can publish a story they read from a press release.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yeah, I guess. :) But, he went to the effort to single out the 4 St. Paul locations (as, of course, it's the St. Paul paper), but I guess he couldn't be bothered to ask them specifically about those or maybe even drive by them to see the status.

~TDQ

[Seige]

Ha! He corrected his article. I guess Chowhound scumming works. LOL

[The Dairy Queen]

Too funny! Although, he may not have gotten that from us. Someone noted in the comments that the Cleveland Ave location was Sakana sushi... She also notes that the sushi is "excellent." I'm kind of curious, now, to find out if she's right.

~TDQ

[Bobannon]

This article also says Crystal and Brooklyn Park are already open. They aren't. I drove my Crystal last night and BP on Wed and neither are open.

[The Dairy Queen]

Here's a discussion in the chains topic on Popeye's vs. KFC. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/880462

~TDQ

[sdalton29]

Drove by the one on University and Larpentuer hoping to see at least the Popeye's signage installed. Painted like a Popeyes but that is it, still sitting.

[ChancesR]

The old KFC in Highland Park is now a Sakana Sushi and Asian Bistro (The sign, at least, is going up today; it is likely not yet open.) I didn't think a Popeye's would play well in Highland.

[The Dairy Queen]

Glad to hear of some progress on that, finally! It seems like forever. I wonder if they'll have a drive through? Wouldn't that be a hoot? And I wonder if they'll have ramen! ETA: Ramen, not likely based on the menu for the Wayzata location. http://www.sakanamn.com/

~TDQ

[John E.]

I happen to like KFC original fried chicken but when we buy fried chicken we pay six bucks for an 8 piece bucket at Cub rather than the fortune KFC charges these days.

[briant]

In reference to the original poster's comment about wishing they would be more Pollo Campero's... I recently visited the one and only location on Robert Street and was impressed. If only all fast food was this good. I had the chicken tacos. Meat was tender and had a little zing, toppings were fresh, I think it had Cotija cheese? Sides were unique and a nice change of pace. I tried the campero beans (yum) and the fried yucca which was like breaded glue but oddly, I liked it! I will be back.

[MplsM ary]

If the KFC on Lake and Chicago turns Popeye's, I hope they can maintain their signage "all white orders 10% more." I love that little sign.

[The Dairy Queen]

Never noticed that sign, but that location of KFC is closed as of Sunday.

~TDQ

[Jordan]

The Richfield KFC (at the Hub shopping center at 66th and Nicollet) is also closed.

[mikemcg62]

As is the Rice Street location near Larpenter

[Bobannon]

Brooklyn park and Crystal are also closed. Weird that this hasn't been moved to the Chains board.

[bohemianclub]

KFC at Cedar and Cliff in Eagan is closed ...

[justalex]

Another siting - Chaska KFC on Yellow Brick Road appears to be closed.

[FrankPierce]

This just in! The KFC on County Road 10 just west of 35W in Moundsview. They were taking down the big KFC sign a couple of hours ago. We must be getting close to 14 by now.

[BigE]

Add the one on Central, just south of 694, to the hit list.

[otps]

Hwy 42 and 13 in Savage closed a week ago Sunday. It is an A&W also, I imagine it will be Popeye's only because of the small size.

[BigE]

Check that...I got bad intel on this one. Central/50th Columbia Heights KFC is still open.

[dc1515]

The KFC signs and "awnings" were coming down yesterday morning on Lexington and University in St. Paul.

[Seige]

I was wondering if that was one of the one's that was closing. It's funny, because Hubster and I have said for years that a Popeye's in that location would kill! We shall see if we were right.

[MSPD]

Seige, did you know that Trung Nam bakery (6 blocks from there) was a Popeye's back in the early-mid 90s?

[John E.]

And back in thise days both Popeye's locations were owned by....Dr. John Najarian.

[chazmo]

Went by the Lex and University site yesterday and it had a new paint job. It was kind of yellow -orange. Is that Popeye's or Pollo Campero colors? Anyone know what's going in there?

[The Dairy Queen]

Like this? (Pollo Campero) http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2011/02/pollo_campero_o.php

Or like this? (Popeyes) http://www.yelp.com/biz/popeyes-minne...

~TDQ

[chazmo]

Didn't really look like either of those. I guess they would have to work with the building that's there though.

[The Dairy Queen]

You know, our Popeye's is pretty old. Maybe it looks more like a newer popeyes? http://quickserveleader.com/article/p... And like you said, of course, within the constraints of the existing building of course.

~TDQ

[nancyd]

I found the scoop online. Was hoping for Pollo Campero, but Popeyes wouldn't be too bad:

A total of 14 Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food outlets in California and another 14 in Minnesota shut their doors for the final time Saturday, Nov. 10, including two stores in Redding, one each in Anderson, Chico, Oroville, Yuba City, Linda and 7 in the Bakersfield area including one in Taft.

The franchisee-operated stores have been purchased by AFC Enterprises Inc. of Atlanta, a franchisor and operator of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen restaurants. After remodeling and refurbishing, the stores will re-open in two to five months as Popeye’s restaurants, company officials said.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, that's pretty much the same info as in the OP.

~TDQ

[chazmo]

Thanks TDQ. I'm going to start paying attention to the original posts.

[Freeze666]

I don't get all the hate for KFC.

The sides are atrocious, I'll give you that. But KFC is the undisputed world champion of fried chicken, and for good reason. I'll take a bucket of KFC over a bucket of ANY other fried chicken every single time.

[The Professor]

I don't "hate" KFC, I'll have occasionally since theres one very close to my house...but I have to agree with some of the others that Popeye's is better right down the line...including their fried chicken.
KFC is "ok" (except for the "extra crispy", which is usually not very good at all).
In truth, the hot food bar at the local ShopRite supermarket actually does fried chicken much better than any at KFC.

[galewskj]

I don't hate KFC, but I strongly disagree that they are the undisputed world champion of fried chicken FOR GOOD REASON. *If* they are the world champion, it is for the same reasons that Mcdonalds is the world champion of hamburgers.

[kriminalrat]

It's on like donkey kong

[BigE]

I'm thrilled about this...basically echoing what justalex said. I think it is better than KFC (not worlds better, as mentioned), but the biscuits are awesome. Greasy as heck and delicious.

Variety is always a good thing, people.

[galewskj]

I guess that's a step in the right direction.

[brlattim]

Is Popeye's good or just good in comparison to say...what I consider to be bad..like KFC?

[bob s]

It's decent fried chicken, but it's not out-of-this-world fried chicken. Vs. KFC, it's head and shoulders better and the sides are much better as well.

[olyolyy]

It's pretty much exactly like KFC, for comparisons sake.

[TroyTempest]

Says who? KFC has nothing that compares to Popeye's spicy fried chicken. Of course they may bland it down for Minnesota, who knows?
I really wasn't trying to be sarcastic. You never know what corporate thinks the people want.

[justalex]

I like it much better than KFC, especially the spicy option. The biscuits are good, decent red beans and rice and the mashed potatoes have a somewhat spicy gravy with bits of green chile. KFC is bland, bland, bland in comparison.

[getgot211]

as others have said its not going to change your life, but as far as fast food joints go its good. much better than KFC.

[MSPD]

Next time you're near 35W and Lake in Minneapolis try it for yourself. Cash only though.