A US fried chicken chain is preparing for its Aberdeen opening day next week following a Scottish launch last year which created queues of over 18 hours.
Popeyes has announced Monday, April 15 as the the official opening date for its Union Street location, with plans to mark the occasion with a series of giveaways including a years worth of free chicken sandwiches for the first three customers in line.
The firm previously revealed plans to open a third Scottish branch on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street later this year.
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Tom Crowley, chief executive at Popeyes UK, said: "Opening restaurants in Scotland has been key for us since we first landed in the UK, and following the huge success of Popeyes Barrhead, we’re thrilled to be bringing the flavours of New Orleans to fans in Aberdeen and Glasgow city centre."
In September, 2023 the Herald reported that Popeyes had experienced a 'record breaking' opening morning at its new location within the Barrhead Retail Park on Glasgow Road, with eager eaters having arrived overnight to secure their space in line.
John Russell, who joined the queue at around 7.30pm, said: “I’m a long-time fan of Popeyes.
"I’ve been checking the Popeyes Instagram for news of a Scottish opening for two years and dreaming about this launch so had to come down early to be one of the first in the queue.”
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Traffic Police later attended the site to deal with congestion caused by the flurry of excitement at the New Orleans-founded fast food chain.
In its opening week it consistently had queues of up to 2.5 hours long, making it the busiest Popeyes opening globally.
Neil Williamson, chief operating officer at Popeyes UK, said “We thought customers queuing for 16 hours at Cardiff Bay would be impossible to beat, but the people of Scotland have set a new record with our first customer turning up a whopping 18.5 hours before opening.
"We’re delighted with the response we’ve had to our first Scottish restaurant and look forward to serving our famous Louisiana Chicken to many more.”
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The menu at the new Aberdeen restaurant, which seats up to 50 diners, will include the 'iconic Popeyes' chicken sandwich as well as the original Southern biscuits and gravy.
A ‘Brekkie’ menu will also be served from Tuesday, April 16 featuring 'British breakfast classics with a New Orleans twist', such as the big Cajun breakfast roll, Cajun hash browns and Nutella-topped buttermilk biscuits.
For more information, visit the Popeyes website here.
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