​Popeyes Launches First Travel Hub in London's Waterloo as UK Expansion Accelerates

Popeyes is set to debut its first travel hub restaurant at London's Waterloo Station, marking a significant milestone in its aggressive UK expansion strategy. This initiative is part of a broader plan to double the brand's UK presence by the end of 2024.

Rob Olivera, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With over 30 new outlets scheduled to open in the coming year, Popeyes aims to increase its total UK locations to more than 60 by December 2024. This expansion starts with new restaurants in Ilford and Hammersmith on January 22 and 29, respectively. Additional locations are planned across various cities, including Bishop Auckland, Exeter, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Swansea, and Birmingham.

Notably, the Birmingham site, primarily a delivery kitchen, marks Popeyes' first venture into the city, with further expansion anticipated.

In addition to its physical growth, Popeyes is also broadening its menu offerings. Following a successful trial, the brand will introduce a nationwide breakfast menu next month. This new menu will feature a bacon roll, a big breakfast roll, Cajun hash browns, a sausage, egg and cheese muffin, a cinnamon sugar biscuit, and a big Cajun roll.

Reflecting on the brand's journey, Tom Byng, Chief Development Officer, remarked, "We opened our first store in November 2021 to huge hype and acclaim, and customer appetite shows no sign of slowing down. We've opened 38 locations up and down the country and converted legions of fried chicken fans to Popeyes. We're excited to give even more people their first taste of New Orleans as we double our estate in 2024."

2C2K Photography, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Byng also highlighted the significance of the new travel hub restaurant at Waterloo Station, emphasising its role in spreading the unique New Orleans spirit to a diverse traveller base.

Since entering the UK market in November 2021, Popeyes has established 36 locations, including five drive-thrus and seven delivery kitchens. The brand now employs over 2,300 people in the UK and, with the upcoming openings, expects to create 2,000 additional jobs in 2024. The opening of its first drive-thru at Parkgate Shopping Centre in Rotherham last year marked another milestone in its UK journey.

The recent acquisition of a controlling stake in the UK business by  TDR Capital further underscores the brand's strong growth trajectory and commitment to the UK market.

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