Pat Gilligan, the local franchise owner for Popeyes, confirmed this morning that all Dayton-area Popeyes restaurants are selling the chain’s new chicken sandwich, which comes in both “Classic” and “Spicy” styles. The sandwiches are $3.99.
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The Florida-based chain announced Monday that the chicken sandwiches were poised to roll out nationwide beginning Sunday, Nov. 3.
But this time, Dayton fried-chicken enthusiasts got a jump on their fellow Popeyes fans in at least some other parts of the country.
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Gilligan said last week that his southwest Ohio stores have added employees and implemented additional training specifically to prepare for the re-introduction of the Popeyes Chicken sandwiches.
Popeyes initially debuted its chicken sandwich on Aug. 12. The launch sparked a viral Twitter feud between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A over which chain had the better chicken sandwich. In just two weeks, the Popeyes menu item sold out.
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"The tweets went viral," Business Insider's Shoshy Ciment reported, "fueling a massive demand for the sandwich that outweighed the supply and forced employees to work hours of grueling shifts, sometimes without breaks."
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Popeyes announced this morning that the highly anticipated return of its chicken sandwich is just days away.
The sandwich will be available in restaurants nationally beginning Sunday, Nov. 3.
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Y’all…the sandwich is back Sunday, November 3rd. Then every day. 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/JDxyCIv0zz
— Popeyes Chicken (@PopeyesChicken) October 28, 2019
Dayton-area Popeyes restaurants have hired additional employees and introduced new training regimens specifically to accommodate the return of a new chicken sandwich that sold out in two weeks and provoked a social-media firestorm when it made its original debut in August.
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“We have been re-staffing our stores to offer the great service and Popeyes customers have come to expect, all in anticipation of the re-launch,” Pat Gilligan, the franchisee for Popeyes restaurants in the Dayton and Cincinnati markets, told us last week.
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Gilligan purchased Popeyes franchise locations in Harrison Twp. and Springfield in January 2016 and opened new locations in Englewood, Kettering and Springboro since then. He has owned Cincinnati-area Popeyes franchise locations since 2006.
Popeyes debuted its chicken sandwich on Aug. 12. The launch sparked a viral Twitter feud between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A over which chain had the better chicken sandwich. In just two weeks, the menu item sold out.
"The tweets went viral," Business Insider's Shoshy Ciment reported, "fueling a massive demand for the sandwich that outweighed the supply and forced employees to work hours of grueling shifts, sometimes without breaks."
"We have been working diligently to bring the sandwich back to our restaurants soon, as we know our guests are anxiously anticipating its return," Popeyes told Bloomberg in a statement. "As soon as we're ready to announce a date, we will let the world know!"
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The Popeyes chain, known for its fried chicken and Cajun-style side dishes, was once a Dayton-area mainstay. Popeyes had multiple locations in the region in the early 1980s, but those closed, and the region went without a Popeyes for several years. When the Popeyes at 3796 Salem Ave. in Harrison Twp. opened in 2001, fans flocked to the restaurant for several days, causing waits of up to an hour.
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