Popeyes China to open first store in Shanghai next week
The move is part of its larger plan to have over 1,500 restaurants in the country.
Popeyes is pressing ahead with plans to expand in China, opening its first outlet in Shanghai next week.
The 470-square-meter flagship store is described as incorporating both Chinese and Louisiana design aesthetics and aims to create a premium, unique dining experience.
Popeyes declared its plans last year to open more than 1,500 restaurants in the country over the next 10 years, becoming the last of Restaurant Brands International’s (RBI) three major chains to enter the Chinese market. TFI Tab Foods Investments serves as RBI’s partner in introducing the chain.
“[T]he strategy is based on our long-term observation of the China market," Popeyes China chief executive Raphael Coelho told local media. "We hope to set our roots in the China market and grow in the long run and be loved by consumers and clients.”
After debuting, Coelho said it will continue to expand in the surrounding regions, with plans for new restaurants in Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Suzhou before further expanding to other cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Ningbo, and Wuxi.
Overall, Popeyes operates over 3,100 locations in more than 25 countries worldwide.
