Popeyes is now open on Hauenstein Road

The new Popeyes restaurant opened for business on Thursday, March 28. The new restaurant is located on Hauenstein Road, Huntington.

When entrepreneur Alvin C. Copeland Sr. opened the first Popeyes in the New Orleans suburb of Arabi back in 1972, he did it under a different name: Chicken on the Run. With a menu of traditional Southern-fried chicken, the restaurant struggled initially to attract customers or make its mark.

Copeland, however, was not deterred. Inspired by Cajun-cooking and his ambition to create fried chicken guests would love, he went back to the drawing board, creating a chicken recipe that gave guests a little kick of spice.

He reopened his restaurant as “Popeyes” – named for Gene Hackman’s hard-boiled police detective Popeye Doyle from the 1971 film The French Connection – and started serving the authentic New Orleans-style spicy chicken that is famous today.

Popeyes was eventually bought by Restaurant Brands International in 2017, and their rapid growth and expansion has continued since. Popeyes has become one of the most successful quick-serve restaurants in the world, with more than 3,800 restaurants globally.

Popeyes serves chicken sandwiches and dishes in mild and spicy flavors and offers sides such as red beans and rice, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes with Cajun-style gravy, Cajun rice, macaroni & cheese, biscuits and coleslaw. In addition to chicken, Popeyes also serves seafood entrées such as shrimp and catfish.