6 Major Changes Underway at Popeyes
Popeyes isn’t just about crispy chicken and biscuits anymore—it’s riding a wave of innovation and expansion. The popular chicken chain isn’t just sticking to its comfort zone—this year marks a major makeover. With digital conveniences, inventive menu items, kitchen tech upgrades, and AI integration, the company is setting itself up for a bigger, bolder future. Keep an eye out next time you drive past one—they might just “Al” take your order! From tech upgrades to menu overhauls, here are the top six shifts shaking things up at the Louisiana Kitchen.
New Front of the House Tech
Popeyes is really focused on keeping up with the trends and is investing into new tech.
According to Restaurant Dive, Restaurant Brands International CEO Josh Kobza said on a company’s Q4 2024 earnings call that Popeyes will have cloud-based point-of-sale systems, and order-ready boards for in-store customers who want to track their food’s progress. 85% of franchisees have committed to this plan.
Changes to the App
Popeyes is doubling down on convenience and making much needed changes to its app. You can now select the type of meat you want and which specific pieces of chicken. Redditors are “thrilled.”
One user wrote, “The official popeyes app and website finally allows you to choose if you want dark, white meat. And it also allows you to choose how many thighs, wings, breasts you want as well!! As a dark meat only person, Im super thrilled!!”
New Menu Items
On June 2, Popeyes launched three chicken wraps—Classic, Spicy, Honey Mustard, which is a
clear counter to McDonald’s Snack Wrap comeback. These wraps pair hand‑breaded chicken, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and signature sauces in a tortilla—priced at just $3.99. The wraps are for a limited time so grab one while you can.
Opening More Locations
Popeyes is expanding and has plans to open 800 more locations in Canada and across the U.S. by 2028. They’re also growing globally. This year alone, four new locations have popped up in the United Kingdom, according to their website.
Kitchen Revamp
Popeyes has been implementing 30 “distinct changes” in its kitchens—upgrading equipment (like batter-mixing machinery), reconfiguring layouts, and streamlining processes. Pilots in California are expanding nationally through 2025, per Nation’s Restaurant News.
“Categorically, people love Popeyes’ food. But they’ve told us the experience can be inconsistent,” Sami Saddiqui, CFO of Popeyes’ parent company Restaurant Business International (RBI), said during TD Cowen’s Future of the Consumer Conference in June. “As we did a bunch of research, our kitchen formats had not been updated in about a decade. In that decade, a lot has changed—the emergence of boneless chicken, digital becoming a more meaningful channel. Those shifts require a rethink.”
AI Drive‑Thrus
You might soon be giving your order to AI instead of a real person. Popeyes is testing out AI-powered drive-thrus at locations in the U.K. as a trial run.
According to Restaurant, AI can handle orders with 97% accuracy, can answer questions about ingredients and is able to understand when customers change their mind.
