Why Popeyes Will Never Consider A Healthier Menu
Popeyes counts some of the biggest stars in the world as loyal fans of its Southern-style fried chicken and sides. In October, for example, Megan Thee Stallion launched a sauce and merch collab with the fast-food chain, per The Washington Post. And Beyonce not only has a free-Popeyes-for-life card, per Billboard, but she also served buckets of Popeyes chicken at her wedding (per Stuff).
But the qualities that make Popeyes chicken so delicious also reveal an unsavory truth you probably already knew: It's not exactly good for you. Offerings on the Popeyes menu are typically high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sodium, per VeryWellFit. (Still, the chain does serve vegetables other fast-food places don't, such as green beans.) Popeyes' chicken sandwich, aimed to compete in the so-called chicken sandwich wars, is deemed by Healthline as a "bigger nutrition bomb" than other restaurants' sandwiches.
But even amid a growing trend among many fast-food chains to offer more nutritious options for health-conscious customers (per The New Yorker), Popeyes isn't giving up any ground. The bigwigs at Popeyes HQ have stated not only that they're keeping all the indulgent favorites, but that they're also refusing to consider adopting a healthier menu overhaul.
Popeyes knows its food is unhealthy — and that's not changing
Why won't Popeyes ever change its menu to be healthier? Well, it's tried, CEO Cheryl Bachelder said to the Financial Post in 2015. The chain has attempted to offer options that aren't deep-fried, such as dry-rubbed and grilled chicken. But apparently, these options are never as popular and don't fit with Bachelder's goals for the popular Southern spot with the catchy jingle.
"People are eating a lot of baked and broiled chicken at home. No one makes this kind of food at home anymore," Bachelder told the Financial Post, referring to the fried chicken and comfort-food sides Popeyes is famous for. "I like to say we eat boring, healthy food at home, and we eat things like Popeyes when we go out to enjoy a special evening."
So in lieu of embracing the health food trend, Popeyes is sticking to the tried-and-true menu items. After all, Popeyes did once lose ownership of its recipes and had to pay another company more than $40 million in 2014 to serve the classic chicken. So perhaps it makes sense that it's sticking to its Louisiana-style investment — with, of course, the support of stars such as Cardi B (via YouTube).