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Tag: Popeye’s

  • Popeyes Singapore Halts Fish Burger Sales Amid Mold Scare: An Investigation Underway

    Popeyes Singapore Halts Fish Burger Sales Amid Mold Scare: An Investigation Underway

    Popeyes Singapore recently halted the sale of its limited-edition Poppy Fish Burger throughout all its branches following an incident where a customer found mold on her burger bun at the Orchard Xchange outlet. This occurrence has led to a comprehensive investigation.

    The fast-food chain’s decision to suspend the sale of the burger is a precautionary measure while the inquiry is ongoing. In a statement, they expressed sincere apologies for the incident and emphasized their commitment to food safety, stating that it is their topmost concern and they take such matters very seriously.

    Popeyes also revealed that the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had already inspected the Orchard Xchange outlet and found their food-safety controls to be satisfactory. Currently, Popeyes is collaborating with the SFA, its suppliers, and its operations team to identify the root cause of the mold incident and avert any similar issues in the future.

    The customer, identified as Teng, shared that she had consumed most of the Poppy Fish Burger before noticing the mold on the bun. She explained that she did not see it sooner because she had been focused on her computer while eating. Upon discovering the mold, Teng discarded the remaining burger and lodged complaints with both Popeyes and the SFA.

    The SFA confirmed its inspection of the Orchard Xchange outlet and stated it had sternly cautioned the management to improve their procedures. The agency assured that it would continue to monitor the outlet for compliance.

    Popeyes, on its part, pledged to scrutinize its internal processes to understand the cause of the mold incident. It has already performed a thorough inspection of all food items, required suppliers to confirm the integrity of the shelf-life of their products and reinforced food-safety checks across all its locations. Furthermore, recommendations from the SFA have been received, which the fast-food chain promised to implement immediately.

    Questions & Answers

    What action was taken by Popeyes Singapore following the discovery of mold on a burger bun?
    Popeyes Singapore suspended the sale of its limited-edition Poppy Fish Burger at all its locations as a precautionary measure and initiated a thorough investigation into the incident.

    How is Popeyes Singapore addressing the issue to prevent a repeat occurrence?
    Popeyes Singapore is reviewing its internal processes, performing comprehensive inspections of all food items, asking suppliers to verify their product shelf-life, and reinforcing food-safety checks at all outlets. The chain is also implementing recommendations from the Singapore Food Agency.

    What role has the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) played in this incident?
    The SFA inspected the implicated Popeyes outlet, found its food-safety controls satisfactory, issued a stern warning to the management to improve their procedures, and committed to ongoing monitoring for compliance. The agency also provided recommendations to Popeyes Singapore which the chain has pledged to implement immediately.

  • Popeyes Expands In The Philippines: New Franchising Program Launched Amid Record-breaking Performance

    Popeyes Expands In The Philippines: New Franchising Program Launched Amid Record-breaking Performance

    Popeyes, the renowned American fast food brand, has initiated its franchise program in the Philippines. This move comes in the wake of the country’s stellar performance, making it the leading global market for Popeyes in terms of transactions, as reported by the company’s parent organization, Restaurant Brands International (RBI).

    Franchising: The Logical Next Step

    Dustin Ngo, the Managing Director for Popeyes Philippines, expressed his views on the new franchising initiative. According to Ngo, franchising was the logical next phase in the company’s growth trajectory. He lauded it as a lucrative investment opportunity that aligns perfectly with Popeyes’ expansion plans over the next three years.

    Franchise investment for a 1000sqm drive-thru store varies between PHP$45 million and $50 million, equivalent to US$793,000 to $800,000. The investment package encompasses construction, equipment, training, and a 10-year franchise fee. The continued costs include an 8 per cent royalty and a 5 per cent advertisement fee, calculated based on sales.

    Comprehensive Support for Franchise Partners

    RBI, along with the local team, will offer comprehensive support to ensure a smooth and efficient setup and operation for the franchise partners. The objective is to make the operation of Popeyes franchises as hassle-free as possible.

    Dan Hayton, the Chief Operating Officer of Popeyes Philippines, further elucidated this point. He expressed the company’s desire for franchise partners to run their Popeyes franchise effortlessly, with the operation starting up as easily as turning a key.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the investment range for opening a Popeyes franchise in the Philippines?
    The investment for a 1000sqm drive-thru store ranges from PHP$45 million to $50 million (US$793,000 to $800,000), which includes costs for construction, equipment, training, and a 10-year franchise fee.

    What are the ongoing costs for a Popeyes franchise?
    The ongoing costs include an 8 per cent royalty and a 5 per cent advertisement fee, calculated based on sales.

    What kind of support does Popeyes provide to its franchise partners?
    Popeyes, in collaboration with RBI and the local team, provides comprehensive end-to-end support. The focus lies on ensuring a fast setup and operational efficiency for the franchise partners.

  • Tims China aims to open 1700 Popeyes eateries across China

    Tims China aims to open 1700 Popeyes eateries across China

    TH International Limited has set a goal to open 1,700 Popeyes eateries across China in the next decade, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, after it relaunched the Cajun-inspired fast food chicken chain Popeyes in the country last Saturday.

    TH International, also known as Tims China, took over as the exclusive operator and developer of the Restaurant Brands International-owned Popeyes brand in China from TFI TAB Food Investments in March.

    Tims China, which also operates the Tim Hortons coffee chain in China, also aims to increase the number of Popeyes restaurants in Shanghai to 10 by the end of this year, the source said, declining to be named as the information was not yet public.

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  • Popeyes re-enters China with TH International

    Popeyes re-enters China with TH International

    Tim Hortons China’s exclusive operator, TH International (Tims China), is to relaunch the fried chicken chain Popeyes in China and Macau by acquiring exclusive rights to develop and sub-franchise the brand.

    The transaction, which the company expected to bring significant cash to Tims China and strengthen the company’s balance sheet, is subject to customary closing conditions.

    Popeyes entered China in 2020 under the partnership with Tab Foods Investments with an ambition to open 1500 locations across China in 10 years. However, the chain faltered after opening just nine stores, due to the prolonged impact of Covid-19 in the country.

    Peter Yu, chairman of Tims China, said the company plans to expand its store network of Tim Hortons and Popeyes stores in China to 1000 by the end of the year.

    “The two brands are a natural fit, with complementary product offerings and exceptional growth potential,” said Yongchen Lu, CEO of Tims China. “Both brands will benefit from greater scale, a stronger financial model, and synergies, including in the supply chain and new restaurant development.”

    TH International Limited was founded by Cartesian Capital Group and Tim Hortons Restaurants International, a subsidiary of Canadian-headquartered Restaurant Brands International which owns the Popeyes, Burger King and Tim Hortons brands.

    Last August, the US fried chicken retailer appointed Cartesian Capital Group as its partner to relaunch the Popeyes brand in China. The chain has also relaunched in South Korea under a partnership with local operator Silla Co, two years after closing its business there.

    Popeyes has more than 3900 stores globally.

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  • Popeyes to return to South Korea

    Popeyes to return to South Korea

    American fried chicken restaurant chain Popeyes is returning to the Korean market after pulling the plug on its business here in December 2020.

    Its operator Restaurant Brands International (RBI) confirmed Monday it has signed an exclusive master franchise contract with its new partner NLC, a subsidiary of deep-sea fishery firm Silla. It will open its first store under NLC management by the end of this year.

    “We are thrilled to introduce Popeyes’ unique Louisiana-style chicken and various food items in Korea with NLC, a subsidiary of Silla,” Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen President David Shear said. “We are building a partnership with NLC based on strong trust and we will look forward to our future journey together.”

    RBI thought hard about bringing Popeyes back to Seoul because it has already failed once here. Silla is said to have convinced RBI with its distinguished strategy for Popeyes in an already saturated fast food restaurant market.

    NLC is confident about bringing local customers back to Popeyes with its representative Cajun chicken.

    “Chicken is one of the most loved food categories in Korea and we are proud to have brought back Popeyes, a globally well-known brand. We also believe our aggressive expansion of the fried chicken restaurant chain can greatly contribute to the country’s economy by creating new jobs,” an NLC official said.

    The Popeyes brand was first launched in New Orleans in 1972. It is one of the world’s largest chicken restaurant franchises, operating over 3,400 branches in more than 25 countries. It has been competing with global fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC with its New Orleans-style food including spicy chicken, chicken tenders and fried shrimp.

    In Korea, TS Food & System (TS F&S), an affiliate of TS Corporation, had been operating Popeyes with its master franchise contract signed in 1994 and opened nearly 200 restaurants here.

    However, it fell behind other chicken burger chains such as Mom’s Touch after poor business performance that had been afflicting them for a while, the contract with TS F&S was terminated as of the end of 2020.

    The brand has since been seeking a new local partner to reenter the Korean market. Daewoo Development Company – Engineering & Construction was one of the candidates that RBI was in touch with.

    Apart from Korea, Popeyes has successfully expanded its business to countries such as Spain, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and the Philippines over the past few years.

    Last year, it opened restaurants in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Romania and India.

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  • Popeyes appoints partner for China rollout

    Popeyes appoints partner for China rollout

    Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is making a move on KFC’s turf. The Miami-based chicken chain on Wednesday announced an agreement with Cartesian Capital Group to develop restaurants in China in the coming years. In the process, it will take Popeyes into a country dominated by its longtime rival, KFC.

    Popeyes could move quickly if Cartesian’s recent track record is any indication. The firm started developing Tim Hortons locations in 2019. The Canadian coffee and doughnut brand already has 450 locations in the country. Tim Hortons, like Popeyes, is owned by the Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International.

    “We are excited to build on our long-standing and successful relationship with RBI, spanning over a decade and most recently including our rapid development of more than 450 Tim Hortons cafes across China,” Cartesian Managing Partner Peter Yu said in a statement.

    China is a gold mine for U.S. brands eager for international expansion. It is the world’s second-largest economy and is growing rapidly. Numerous restaurant chains are pushing aggressive expansion. KFC, McDonald’s and Starbucks, among many others, are aggressively adding units and companies like Papa John’s and Domino’s are pushing growth there.

    But the country has had its challenges of late, driven by its “Zero COVID” strategy in which large cities are shut down for weeks or months at a time, sending sales plummeting. Same-store sales at Yum China, for instance, decreased 16% in the second quarter.

    As for Popeyes, it also goes into a market dominated by KFC. The chain, which helped open China decades ago, is as popular there as McDonald’s is in the U.S. It operates 8,500 locations in the country and is on pace to add another 800 this year alone.

    Still, it’s an important market for Popeyes as it works to build its international business. RBI’s business plan is predicated in part on aggressive international development, much as it did with Burger King starting in 2010.

    Popeyes operates only about 3,800 global locations, with about 1,000 of them outside the U.S. But that international unit count is up about 50% over the past five years. And since last year, Popeyes has announced deals to enter South Korea, France, Romania, the U.K. and India, with expansion plans for Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

  • Popeyes launches in India as Asian footprint grows

    Popeyes launches in India as Asian footprint grows

    American fast-food chain Popeyes has partnered with Indian foodservice company Jubilant Foodworks to expand its business in Southeast Asia. Jubilant Foodworks will develop and open hundreds of Popeyes restaurants across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan in the coming years.

    Under this multi-country agreement, Jubilant has exclusive rights to operate and sub-license the Popeyes brand in these countries. Founded in 1972, Popeyes offers a New Orleans-style menu featuring chicken sandwiches, spicy chicken, chicken tenders and fried shrimp among other regional items.

    Owned by RBI International, the chain currently has more than 3,400 restaurants in over 25 countries.

    RBI International president David Shear said: “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 flavours.

    “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.”

    Jubilant Foodworks chairman Shyam Bhartia and co-chairman Hari Bhartia added: “Chicken is one of the largest and fastest-growing categories in India and is expected to grow rapidly in years to come. Popeyes will be an exciting addition to the JFL portfolio and is expected to become one of the key drivers of growth for us in the coming years.”

    The latest development is part of Popeyes’ aggressive global brand expansion plan. The chain is gearing up to expand its presence in Mexico this year and make its entry to the UK next year. It is planning to develop hundreds of restaurants across both countries.

    Over the last few years, Popeyes has established its footprint in Spain, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

    In a separate development, Indian food delivery platform Swiggy has announced plans to offer vaccine cover to its more than 200,000 delivery partners.

    The announcement follows the Indian government’s decision to commence the next phase of nationwide vaccination in April for people aged 45 and above.

    Swiggy said 5,500 of its delivery partners aged 45 and above will be eligible to opt-in for the vaccination in the first tranche.

    The company is also in discussions with authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive.

    In October last year, Swiggy recorded an 80%-85% rise in pre-Covid-19 order value across the country.

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  • Popeyes takes aim at KFC’s hold on China

    Popeyes takes aim at KFC’s hold on China

    Popeyes has its sights set on China. On Monday, the American fried chicken chain officially announced that it would open its first China-based store right here in Shanghai sometime next year.

    But that’s just the beginning. Popeyes has big plans to become China’s most popular fried chicken joint. No easy feat considering KFC – the world’s most successful fried chicken brand – currently holds the top spot.

    “I think we can be the no.1 chicken brand here in China and all around Asia,” said Jose Cil, CEO of Restaurant Brands International (RBI).

    Popeyes aims to open 1,500 restaurants in China over the next 10 years. KFC currently has a whopping 6,300 branches in over 1,300 cities across the country.

    Popeyes is all the rage in the US right now, after its latest spicy fried chicken sandwich went viral. The sandwich proved to be so popular it sold out and was removed from the menu a few weeks later due to lack of supply.

    The good news is that the famous spicy chicken sandwich will be offered at the Shanghai branch. The bad news is you’ll just have to wait until 2020 to try it.

    Popeyes will be the last of RBI’s major brands to enter the Chinese market. Burger King and Tim Hortons have both proven to be immensely popular in China. Since 2012, Burger King has opened 1,100 stores in China and Tim Hortons has expanded to 28 stores in just one year.

    Hence, Popeyes lofty expectation to take on KFC here in China.

  • Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    Popeyes may immediately stop all operations in South Korea

    American fast-food chain Popeyes said it is to withdraw business from South Korea, however, the local franchisee TS Corporation has denied the report.

    According to The Korea Times, reports of the exit began when a memo was written by a Popeyes’ employee headed “Popeyes brand will no longer pursue business in Korea as of November” went viral on social media. The employee’s memo went into detail, to the point of stating that the chain’s Gwangjin-gu branch would be the last to close before the brand ceases its operations in South Korea.

    A spokesperson from TS Corporation confirmed that some of the restaurants will shut down – but not all of them. The person didn’t share any further information except to state that the company will continue to operate the brand there.

    The struggling fast-food chain has been attempting to turn its fortunes around for two years, however, the process has not gone smoothly.

    Having entered South Korea with TS Food & System in 1993, the company recorded an impaired equity ratio of 40 percent, and last year it was in negative equity.

    Local media said Popeyes has recently been in negotiations with another operator to increase the brand’s value. That company is believed to be SPC Group, which operates Shake Shack and Eggslut in the country, but that has not been confirmed.

  • Popeyes China to open its first store, in Shanghai

    Popeyes China to open its first store, in Shanghai

    Popeyes China will open its first store next week, in Shanghai, as it aims to build a network of 1500 outlets nationwide within 10 years.

    Located on Huaihai Road, one of the city’s most popular shopping precincts, the 470sqm debut Popeyes China store features a Louisiana-inspired design with a twist of Chinese aesthetics.

    Raphael Coelho, CEO of Popeyes China, says the company will look to expand in other parts of the country including Hangzhou and Suzhou after the brand’s debut. He is confident about the growth prospects for the brand as the country is quickly recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “We hope to set our roots in the China market and grow in the long run and be loved by consumers and clients,” said Coelho.

    The company announced last year that it would launch in Mainland China, becoming the last of Restaurant Brands International’s three major chains to enter the Chinese market. Burger King has operated in the territory since 2005, and it now has more than 1000 locations in China.

    Popeyes operates more than 3100 locations in more than 26 countries worldwide, including the US and Canada.

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  • Popeyes China planning over 1500 restaurants openings

    Popeyes China planning over 1500 restaurants openings

    Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is set to develop and open more than 1500 Popeyes restaurants in Mainland China over the next 10 years.

    Popeyes China will be the last of Restaurant Brands International’s three major brands to enter the Chinese market. Burger King has operated in the territory since 2005, and it now has more than 1000 locations in China.

    “We’re very excited to grow the Popeyes brand in the Chinese market,” said Restaurant Brands International COO Josh Kobza. “We look forward to bringing our great tasting chicken, biscuits, sides and beautiful new restaurants to our guests in China with our partner, TFI TAB Food Investments.”

    Popeyes operates more than 3100 locations in more than 25 countries worldwide, including the United States and Canada. The commencement of Popeyes China operations is subject to regulatory clearances.

  • Popeyes Philippines to launch with seven new locations

    Popeyes Philippines to launch with seven new locations

    Popeyes Philippines has revealed the location of its first seven stores.

    Kuya J’s Restaurant Group confirmed it was bringing the popular New Orleans brand to the Philippines in August, prompting widespread interest from landlords.

    The brand – best known for its fried chicken menu – has confirmed seven locations where they will be opening: Arcovia in Pasig, Eastwood and Vertis North in Quezon City, Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa, SM San Lazaro and SM Manila in Manila, and Kroma Tower in Makati.

    “The Philippines is a large and growing market and we are looking forward to servicing the high-quality food that Popeyes offers to the country’s more than 100 million people,” said Kuya J chairman Lowell L. Yu.

    The Popeyes brand has operated since 1972, serving “authentic New Orleans-style fast food”.

  • Popeyes Brand to Launch in the Philippines

    Popeyes Brand to Launch in the Philippines

    The first Popeyes Philippines store is imminent.

    Popeyes, the US fast-food chain, has signed a master franchise agreement for the country with local operator Kuya J Holdings.

    Popeyes’ president Alexandre Santoro said he believed the brand’s friend chicken offer will resonate well with guests in the Philippines.

    Kuya J Group’s chairman Lowell L Yu said: “The Philippines is a large and growing market, and we are looking forward to serving the high-quality food that Popeyes offers to the country’s more than 100 million people.”

    Popeyes was founded in 1972 and serves cuisine based on its Louisiana heritage. It has more than 2900 restaurants in the US and around the world. In Asia it is already established in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

    It is expected the first Popeyes Philippines store will open in Manila.

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