US chicken chain Popeyes to open second UK restaurant in Essex

US chicken chain Popeyes will open its second UK restaurant in Chelmsford, Essex.

The site will seat 46 guests and is expected to open early this summer.

It will be the New Orleans-based brand's first standalone sit-down diner in the UK. Its initial launch in November 2021 was integrated into the food court at London's Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.

The new restaurant will offer the signature dishes available at Stratford, including the Chicken Sandwich, which features Popeyes' 12-hour marinated chicken.

The group said sales at the Stratford site are among the top ten out of over 3,600 Popeyes restaurants worldwide.

Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes UK, said: "Chelmsford was the perfect place for our first sit-down restaurant; it's close to London but sits at the very heart of Essex, which is such a vibrant part of the UK with a close-knit community.

"The team is really excited to open; we already know guests love the food, but now we have the opportunity to really showcase our Louisiana hospitality too."

Peter Genna, director of global culinary innovation & product development for Popeyes brand, added: "Popeyes UK has ambitious plans to rapidly become a British staple and to never compromise on the quality that Popeyes is famous for."

In March 2021, Popeyes revealed its aim to grow to 350 UK sites over the next decade as part of its European roll-out.

Since then, it has also launched further delivery kitchens with Deliveroo Editions in Battersea and Whitechapel, which have led to Popeyes being named most popular new restaurant launch on Deliveroo this year.

Image: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock