Popeyes keen to set up franchises in Winnipeg

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This article was published 19/11/2015 (3628 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new challenger is hoping to change the pecking order in Winnipeg’s chicken wars.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is looking for franchisees and real estate in the city as it embarks on a western Canadian expansion. The first stop is Calgary, where a franchisee has already been approved.

“Winnipeg is definitely on our radar,” said Rob Manuel, the New Orleans-based company’s regional leader for Canada.

“In an ideal scenario, we would have stores open there in 2016, depending on the availability of franchisees. It could slip into 2017.”

Popeyes is the world’s second-largest quick-service chicken concept. It celebrated the opening of its 100th store in Canada this week. The brand first crossed the border in 1984, but it has recently stepped up the pace of expansion, opening 30 stores in the last 18 months alone.

Manuel said he would like to make as big a splash in Winnipeg as possible, opening at least two restaurants within the first 30 days.

“We’re meeting with real estate brokers and looking at the availability and quality of real estate as well as the right franchisee partner. Our success will be based on that,” he said.

“Things can develop quickly, though. We may have something that ramps up quickly. We want to make sure we get it right. We don’t want to make a hasty decision. If it takes another quarter to make sure we enter successfully, that’s what we’ll do.”

Manuel believes the key to the company’s success in Ontario and around the world is its offering is much closer to home cooking than that of its competitors.

“The products are hand-battered and marinated in the restaurant instead of going from freezer to fryer,” he said.

Popeyes’ most recent figures say it has nearly 2,500 locations in the U.S., three territories and 27 other countries.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca