Popeyes reveals historic location for inaugural Prague restaurant

After much speculation, the exact location of the first branch of American fast-food chain Popeyes has in the Czech Republic has been revealed. The iconic brand, famed for their Cajun cuisine, initially announced intentions to launch on the Czech market last year.

Popeyes had previously only identified Wenceslas Square as the location for their first Prague branch, but iDnes.cz has revealed this weekend that the inaugural Popeyes will open inside the renovated Fashion House (Dům módy) on the upper half of the square. The location is directly across the street from competitor KFC.

Marko Blaževič, in charge of Popeyes brand expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, shared some insights into the restaurant's layout in an earlier interview. The two-story establishment will span an impressive 700 square meters and will be strategically positioned at the heart of Prague's bustling city center.

"Without exaggeration, I expect it to be the busiest Popeyes restaurant in the world," Blaževič told iDnes.cz last month. "We deliberately chose Wenceslas Square. It is the place where all important events take place – Christmas and Easter markets, museum night, and other public events."

Prague's Fashion House, located on the corner of Wenceslas Square and Krakovská street, is a neo-functionalist structure designed by Josef Hrubý and built in the 1950s on the site of an apartment building that was destroyed by a German air raid during WWII.

As the name suggests, it was originally conceived as a department store specializing in fashion. It served that purpose until 2021, when the premises underwent some extensive renovations.

František Jiránek, director of commercial projects at real estate management company PSN, confirmed to iDnes.cz the location of the first Popeyes restaurant, and expressed excitement over this addition.

“Yes, we can confirm that. We worked with Popeyes on the selection and preparation of the space for approximately half a year," Jiránek noted.

"We are glad that they chose this part of the ground floor of the Fashion House for such an important branch in Prague. Right next to this space, another unit is also now available, for which we are currently looking for a similar tenant from among premium fast food restaurants."

Wenceslas Square stands as one of Prague's premier shopping destinations, attracting over 36 million visitors annually. With Popeyes choosing this iconic locale, it is anticipated to further enhance the area's appeal, much like the transformative effect of Primark's presence on the opposite side of the square.

The ground floor of the Fashion House is still undergoing reconstruction in advance of the Popeyes opening. Originally expected to open by the end of August, the American franchise is now hoping to debut at the Wenceslas Square location in the second half of September.