Popeyes opened a restaurant off Route 40 in Bear on Monday.
The restaurant is located near the Fox Run Shopping Center. The restaurant had appeared to be ready for opening for a few months. The opening featured lines at the drive-up window.
Popeyes has franchises on Kirkwood Highway, Newark; New Castle, Dover, Seaford and Route 1, Rehoboth.
The restaurant now goes by the name of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, in homage to its roots in New Orleans and because it no longer owns other chains. The company was founded in a suburb of New Orleans.
A redesign of restaurants in recent years has reinforced the Louisiana theme.
Popeyes has experienced its ups and downs, but has been quietly expanding in recent years, adding more than 100 stores last year.
The company was founded by restaurant entrepreneur Al Copeland, but ended up in bankruptcy court in the early 1990s. The company was combined with rival Church’s Fried Chicken. Church’s was later sold as the company focused on its unique style of fried chicken.
Popeyes reported higher earnings in 2015 and opened its 2,500th restaurant during the year.
With its spicy fried chicken and red beans and rice, Popeyes often ends up being a guilty pleasure, even among the health conscious. The company has added healthier selections in recent years.
