Fast-food giant Popeyes plans September launch for first Prague outlet

Fast food options are set to expand in Czechia, with U.S.-based fried chicken chain Popeyes scheduled to open its first restaurant in the country this September. Two additional branches are planned for the end of the year. The chain also recently opened its first outlet in Poland.

Marko Blažević, in charge of the brand's expansion in the Czech Republic and Poland, told news site iDnes that the first Czech location will be a two-story, 700-square-meter restaurant on Wenceslas Square. Blažević said he expects it to be the busiest Popeyes in the world due to its size and location.

The exact opening date has not been disclosed, but Blažević said he now expects the opening to happen in the first half of September, two weeks later than originally anticipated. This is due to the approval process for operating in a historical building.

Popeyes plans to give the first three individuals in line vouchers for a free chicken sandwich every day for an entire year, while the next hundred customers will be treated to a complimentary chicken sandwich. These sandwiches account for 40 percent of the chain’s sales.

In addition to the Prague restaurant, Popeyes will open a three-story branch in the center of Brno, and a drive-thru restaurant near Prague on a highway. The expansion into Czechia was first announced in December 2022.

In 2024, a restaurant will follow in the former Tesco department store on Národní třída in Prague, and a total of 60 branches should open in Czechia within a decade. Two more stores should open in regional towns.

Rex Concepts, the company responsible for Popeyes' development in Poland and the Czech Republic, recently opened the first Popeyes restaurant in Wrocław, Poland. Five more locations are scheduled to open in Poland by the end of the year, and up to 190 within a decade.

Popeyes aims to break records in the Czech Republic, including the number of chicken sandwich orders on the opening day. Blažević said he expected the first Prague branch to break the Wrocław outlet’s record of over 1,300 orders.

The restaurant chain is also set to offer food delivery through an exclusive partnership with the online ordering service Wolt, which was chosen for its wide delivery area and reputation for fast service.

Popeyes intends to focus its marketing efforts heavily on social media to target younger audiences, but Blažević said that the brand has something to offer everyone, including families and older individuals.

The brand opened its first store in the U.S. in 1972. The brand started expanding in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region in 2019, where they had 460 restaurants at the end of 2022. Worldwide, the brand has ith over 3,900 restaurants. Internationally, the chain is managed by Restaurant Brands International, which also oversees the Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs brands.

This is not the only fast-food brand to expand into Prague this year. Domino’s opened a pizza shop in Prague’s Nusle neighborhood at the end of June and plans a second outlet near I.P. Pavlova by the end of the year. The chain had been present in Brno since 2019.