Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is going to France.
The Miami-based chicken chain on Wednesday said that it has a development deal with a French restaurant group, Napaqaro, to act as the master franchise in the country as well as Monaco.
The deal calls for the opening of hundreds of restaurants across multiple formats.
We “can’t wait to introduce our iconic chicken to France, one of the largest QSR markets in the world,” David Shear, president of RBI International, said in a statement. RBI is Restaurant Brands International, Popeyes’ parent company.
“This is another significant step in Popeyes’ European journey and follows successful entries into Spain and most recently the U.K.”
RBI uses such deals with master franchisors to develop and operate its restaurants in entire markets, a strategy that has helped generate strong growth over the past decade.
It is hoping that the strategy can help Popeyes grow rapidly in markets where its much larger rival, KFC, is dominant—similar to how Burger King has been able to develop in the shadow of McDonald’s. RBI could later use similar strategies to grow its latest acquisition, Firehouse Subs.
Popeyes had previously announced expansion plans in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Romania and India in addition to the U.K.
The first Popeyes location in France is expected to open next year. “This new partnership confirms Napaqaro’s ambition to build the future of the restaurant industry in France,” Jocelyn Olive, CEO of the operator, said in a statement.
Napaqaro is one of France’s largest restaurant groups. It already owns various casual dining restaurants along with dark kitchens and digital businesses. It is backed by the private equity firm TDR Capital.
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