One of America's Most Popular Chicken Chains Is Seeing an Unprecedented Surge In Traffic

One of America's most iconic chicken chains is breezing past its 2019 sales numbers. While many restaurant brands are seeing this kind of surge in customer interest, this particular chain is beating out the competition with its current astronomic growth.

The chain in question is Popeyes, which has been cooking its competitors, according to the latest foot traffic report from the analytics firm Placer.ai. According to their data, Popeyes has not only been at the forefront of the chicken sandwich competition but has also been beating its own stellar numbers from 2019.

RELATED: Popeyes Is Rolling Out These First-Ever Perks For Chicken Lovers

The chain has seen a consistent increase in traffic every single month compared to the same time period in the pre-pandemic year. April was its strongest month with a 27.4% increase in foot traffic compared to two years ago, while in July, they were still outdoing 2019 by 22.4%. Coincidentally, July is when the brand launched its new chicken nuggets, a long-awaited item that surely helped solidify the chain's leading role among competitors.

Based on this same metric, here is how other chicken chains fared against their own 2019 numbers. KFC was down 17.5% in July compared to July 2019, Chick-fil-A was down 2.9%, Wendy's was up 3%, McDonald's was down 0.2%, and Burger King was down 6.9%.

But August is going to be a real test for Popeyes, since their iconic chicken sandwich was launched during the same month in 2019, prompting a major spike in demand (and a subsequent shortage). According to the Placer report, the chain will have a harder time beating those numbers and may see a decline in traffic for the first time this year. But if they manage to keep even minimal growth in August, or at least have a limited traffic decline, the results will be truly impressive, according to data experts.

For more, check out:

• The #1 Worst Order at Popeyes, According to a Nutritionist
• Popeyes Is Finally Launching This Long-Awaited Menu Item
• Taco Bell Is Finally Launching This Long-Awaited Chicken Sandwich Nationwide

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