Franchising

Popeyes pushes into 4 South Asian nations

Photo: iStock.

March 24, 2021

A little more than a day after Popeyes said it would begin opening restaurants in the U.K. this year, it announced today that it's moving into India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as part of a partnership with Jubilant Foodworks Limited (JFL) that will open hundreds of Popeyes in South Asia in coming years, according to a press release.

"We're excited to introduce our iconic Louisiana-style chicken to a new population in the world that already celebrates and loves bold and delicious flavors," David Shear, president of Popeyes parent company, RBI International, said in the release. "At Popeyes, we believe that the best food takes time, we marinate our chicken for 12 hours in bold Louisiana seasonings, then hand batter and slowly cook it to make it the juiciest and crispiest chicken that I think our guests will ever have."

Currently, Popeyes has over 3,400 restaurants in over 25 countries worldwide, and recently also announced plans to expand to China, Spain and Switzerland as well. The multi-country agreement with JFL is set to take advantage particularly of the Indian market, where Popeyes claim to fame — chicken — is expected to grow rapidly in years to come. JFL leadership said that the deal is expected to become one of the key drivers of growth for the company moving forward.

Popeyes said it's also going to build its presence in Mexico this year, as well, in addition to the aforementioned expansions globally and those in Brazil, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in recent years.

JFL is part of the Jubilant Bhartia Group and is one of India's largest food service companies. The company holds the master franchise rights for two international brands, Domino's Pizza and Dunkin' Donuts, and operates its homegrown brands — Hong's Kitchen, Chef Boss and Ekdum — in India including more than 1,300 locations.