*Click here to view a slideshow of images from Popeyes Louisiana Heritage Culinary Institute.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has begun a new program to introduce its best operators to the culinary heritage of Louisiana cuisine.
The Popeyes Louisiana Heritage Culinary Institute was created for the brand's Gold, Silver and Bronze Plate award winners. The winners were selected for their commitment to and execution of operational excellence.
The culinary program is intended to immerse Popeyes' best operators in the history of the region's distinctive cooking styles, such as Cajun and Creole, said Dick Lynch, chief marketing officer for Popeyes.
"Louisiana is the foundation of Popeyes' history — and we wanted to reward these franchise owners with a fun and educational experience through Louisiana — helping them to better understand the authentic tastes, which they bring to their guests everyday," Lynch said.
The four-day tour, held March 30-April 2 in New Orleans, featured a hands-on exploration of the native culture and cuisine of Louisiana. Celebrity chef and native New Orleanian Poppy Tooker prepared authentic regional dishes for the franchisees and their colleagues. Tooker, considered an expert on the culinary history of Louisiana, is head of the New Orleans Chapter of the "Slow Food Movement," referring to preserving the cultural cuisine of Louisiana.
