US fried chicken chain to open its first Northern Ireland restaurant 'very soon'

Fried chicken brand Popeyes UK is set to open its first restaurant in Northern Ireland.

Following its recent expansion announcement, the US-headquartered chicken chain is set to open a further 15 locations this year, including its first ever Northern Irish location in Belfast over ‘the coming months’.

The firm has pledged growth of 125% in 2024 planning on rolling out more than 300 locations right across the UK with its 50th UK store opening in Glasgow this week.

The milestone means that the brand is on track to deliver the growth it projected in January – doubling the size of its UK estate in 2024.

Popeyes entered the UK market back in November 2021 and has since seen remarkable success with 49 location openings, including seven drive-thru and 13 delivery kitchens across the UK.

Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes UK explained: "In just 30 months, our remarkable Popeyes UK team has secured a pipeline of 50 top-tier new sites, including our first ever Northern Irish location which opens in Belfast very soon.

Fried chicken brand Popeyes UK is set to open its first restaurant in Northern Ireland

“Currently, Popeyes® UK is the fastest-growing chicken QSR brand in the UK, with a 125% year-on-year growth from May 2023 to May 2024. The sustained demand for Popeyes in the UK is incredible, but not unexpected. We've seen overnight queues for almost every opening since our UK launch in 2021, with fried chicken fans turning up to queue over 24 hours before the opening of new Popeyes® restaurants.

“We remain committed to our expansion plans and look forward to achieving new milestones in the upcoming years.”

The firm added: “The rest of the year is set to be equally exciting for Popeyes UK, with stores in locations such as Watford, Wimbledon, Nottingham Teal, Merry Hill and Dartford being announced.

"In addition to this, a second location in Aberdeen, a second location in Luton, a third location in Manchester, and a first-ever location in Belfast, Northern Ireland are all set to open their doors in the coming months. These openings are expected to generate 2,000 new jobs, contributing to local economies.”