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POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchises quick-service restaurants specializing in Louisiana-style fried bone-in chicken, chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, fried shrimp, seafood, and other quick-service food items, including breakfast in approved locations. Franchisees operate under the Popeyes brand and system, adhering to standardized procedures in formats like free-standing, in-line, drive-thru, sit-down, takeout, and delivery. The target market is the general population, particularly ages 18-54, in a highly competitive quick-service restaurant industry influenced by tastes, economics, and traffic patterns.
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Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 4.6-5% ad fund + $200/mo digital system fee + $60/mo training fee + up to $165/mo POP IT fee
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 2,435 franchised free-standing and in-line Popeyes Restaurants that were continuously operated for the 12-month period ended December 31, 2025, and submitted profit and loss statements for 2025.
* Weighted average gross revenue calculated from the 'Sales $' row in Table IV (EBITDA by Annual Sales Level) for 2,435 franchised free-standing and in-line restaurants. The calculation used individual sales figures and unit counts for each of the eight segments: sum((Sales$_i * units_i)) / 2,435 total units = $1,878,813.74. Weighted median gross revenue calculated similarly from the 'Sales $' (Median) row in Table IV: sum((MedianSales$_i * units_i)) / 2,435 total units = $1,857,912.48. Weighted average revenue top quartile calculated from the 'Sales $' of the '>$2.5M' annual sales level segments in Table IV (364 Free-standing units at $3,066,573 and 56 In-line units at $3,135,750) / 420 total units = $3,075,796.60. Weighted average revenue bottom quartile calculated from the 'Sales $' of the '<$1.5M' annual sales level segments in Table IV (637 Free-standing units at $1,176,101 and 169 In-line units at $1,201,327) / 806 total units = $1,181,390.32. Weighted average EBITDA calculated from the 'EBITDA³ $' row in Table IV using individual EBITDA dollar amounts and unit counts for each of the eight segments: sum((EBITDA$_i * units_i)) / 2,435 total units = $234,477.10. Weighted average EBITDA margin calculated from the 'EBITDA' percentage row in Table IV using individual EBITDA percentages and unit counts for each of the eight segments: sum((EBITDA%_i * units_i)) / 2,435 total units = 10.78%. Best guess profit range (low and high) estimated by multiplying the overall weighted average sales from Table IV ($1,878,813.74) by the minimum (3.5%) and maximum (18.5%) EBITDA percentages observed across all segments in Table IV. Low: $1,878,813.74 * 0.035 = $65,758.48. High: $1,878,813.74 * 0.185 = $347,580.54.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $1,878,814
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Unlock financial performance dataPOPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN Franchise Analysis
What if the secret to Popeyes' sizzle isn't just the spice, but a revenue punch that rivals chicken giants? Since franchising in 1976 under Restaurant Brands International, this Louisiana legend has built a 3,200+ unit empire amid cutthroat QSR battles. Item 19 unveils standout financials, yet low terminations and robust transfers hint at stability—but can these metrics deliver the profitability punch for your investment?
Popeyes demands a $50,000 franchise fee atop total investments often exceeding $1.5M per FDD Item 7 estimates, fueled by buildouts for drive-thrus and delivery-focused formats. Item 19 shines with average gross revenues of $1,878,814 and medians at $1,857,912 across comparable units, though EBITDA margins average 0% signaling tight operations where costs devour top lines. Profit estimates range $65,758 to $347,581, hinging on location and execution; 84 SBA loans averaging $1,143,580 underscore lender confidence despite fees like 5% royalty, 4.6-5% ad fund, plus monthly digital ($200), training ($60), and POP IT ($165) charges.
System vitality impresses: just 14 terminations and 2 non-renewals against 229 transfers, with 104 projected new units signaling expansion under RBI's umbrella from Miami HQ. Litigation clusters around ex-franchisee disputes over terminations and trademarks per Item 3, a common QSR friction but not systemic red flags. For buyers eyeing 18-54 demographics in traffic-hot spots, these figures scream scalability if you nail ops—yet zero-margin averages demand laser-focused cost control to hit the high-profit end.
Analysis based on the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN Compares
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN Current | N/A | $50K | 5.0% | 3,134 |
| MCDONALD'S | $1.5M – $2.6M | $45K | N/A | 12,772 |
| LITTLE CAESARS | $377K – $1.8M | $20K | 6.0% | 3,788 |
| AFC | $45K – $151K | $6K | 9.5% | 3,572 |
| KFC (NON-TRADITIONAL) | $1.2M – $4.2M | $45K | N/A | 3,404 |
| SONIC DRIVE-IN | $1.5M – $2.5M | $15K | 5.0% | 3,120 |
Fast Food Average 132 franchises | $602K – $1.6M | $35K | 6.1% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 132 Fast Food franchises by location count.
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN franchisees (2014 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
84 SBA loans on record
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Unlock SBA loan historyFranchisee Contacts
3,064 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
3,064 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily termination disputes, breach of development agreements, enforcement of post-termination obligations and unauthorized trademark usage by former franchisees, and allegations of misrepresentations in franchise sales.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN does disclose financial performance data (Item 19) in their 2026 FDD, including average and median gross revenue figures. Get full access to see the exact revenue numbers and detailed financial breakdown.
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