Popeye's Chicken Makes a Huge Comeback in the Philippines

For Filipinos, fried chicken is life. And when a new brand name promises to deliver our favorite crunchy and lip-smacking dish, we will surely be there with bells on. And that was what made the Popeye's launch extra special.

Last May 2019, fried chicken fanatics flocked to the grand opening of Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen at Arcovia, Pasig, Philippines. It was a comeback 12 years in the making. Back in 2007, corporate lawsuits from the global handlers of the brand prompted the food chain to close its doors to the Philippines and bid its customers goodbye.

Thanks to the efforts of the Kuya J Group of restaurants, the popular Louisiana franchise makes its way back to the islands. Several weeks after the opening day, hundreds of customers queued up and braved the hot summer afternoons just to get a chance to order a bucket or two of the famous chicken.

The Philippine menu of Popeye's includes rice meals, soup, chicken tenders with dips, and meal combos with spaghetti and drinks. The biscuit, a staple among western cuisine, is also a crowd pleaser here. One can order the plain honey-glazed version, or two special new flavors: hazelnut and white chocolate. If you can save room for dessert, you can also order sundaes in different flavors.

For a country that enjoys fast food, we appreciate how the menu was customized to cater to our local tastes. We don't really mind if popular food chains serve similar kinds of food, as long as it's tasty and worth the price. Popeye's is surely a place where family and friends can gather for a satisfying meal.

The hype about this new chicken joint wasn't wrong. The food was very delicious, like what you'd expect from a good bucket of crunchy and juicy fried chicken. Excellently paired with gravy and rice, Popeye's will surely leave your tummy full and sated. Kids and adults alike gave it two thumbs up.

For now, be sure to bring a lot of patience before you step into this particular branch. It's fairly new, so expect the place to be packed and the queues very long. There are staff, however, readily available to assist customers when it comes to cleaning up and helping with what to order. We best opted for take-out and it took us half an hour minimum.

Don't worry, there will be more than one branch of Popeye's opening in Manila. According to news reports, here are some of the branches coming soon: Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Eastwood City, Vertis North, Ali Mall Cubao, SM Manila, and SM San Lazaro. It's an awesome thing that there might be a branch in a neighborhood near you. Hopefully the lines won't be that long anymore.

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What's the Big Deal with Popeye's Chicken?

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