20 Popeyes restaurants close following franchisee’s bankruptcy

Twenty Popeyes restaurants successful Florida and Georgia person closed successful caller months pursuing the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Sailormen, Inc., 1 of the chain’s largest franchisees with a portfolio that included 136 locations. 

Sailormen’s filing successful January estimated that the institution had astir $130 cardinal successful indebtedness and “faced important challenges,” including rising operational costs, higher borrowing expenses and wages, and user behaviour changes since the COVID pandemic. Since then, 17 of the franchisee’s Popeyes restaurants successful Florida and Georgia person closed. 

On March 10, the institution filed a question successful bankruptcy to cull the leases of 3 further restaurants successful Georgia, bringing the full fig of closures to astatine slightest 20. 

The closures are portion of a broader effort to restructure the company, which present has 116 restaurants successful its portfolio.

Sailormen has been a Popeyes franchisee since the precocious 1980s. Its bankruptcy and closures travel connected the heels of a brushed twelvemonth for the chain, including 4 consecutive quarters of antagonistic same-store sales. For the afloat twelvemonth 2025, Popeyes same-store income declined 2.9%, including -4.9% successful the 4th quarter. 

Nation’s Restaurant News reached retired to Popeyes for remark astir plans for these restaurants and whether much closures are expected.