Doing a little catching up now.

Last year, around middle of May 2020, Popeyes opened their first fast-food restaurant in China here in Shanghai. I knew it would be busy, but was not prepared for just How Busy! I don’t think Popeyes was either.

The top photo on this page was taken on May 27, 2020 at 13:15. The line is just what spilled outside. Inside is an equally longer line of people waiting to get in. The estimated serving time was 2-3 hours! Needless to say, I did not stick around.

While Popeyes did to the smart thing and produce a WeChat App for ordering, it was shut down during rush hours (read: most of the day) and delivery service was blocked for almost a month. They were just too busy handling walk-ins to service anything more.

This second photo was taken June 10, 2020 at 13:33. Still after lunch rush and 2 weeks after my first attempt to eat there. Still a short line outside and another one inside, with plenty of line monitors to ensure no one cuts in (a common problem here). I didn’t stick around this time either.

Perhaps realizing the “Gold Mine” Popeyes had stumbled upon here in Shanghai, within 2 months they opened 5 additional restaurants around Shanghai – one within walking distance of our home! Still, initially, it was not enough as the demand exceeded supply for another month. Wait times at our local Popeyes were still insane and delivery was blocked except for a few hours mid-afternoon.

Finally, on July 28, 2020, I had a open window of time for delivery and got my first taste. The spicy chicken sandwich was good, but I didn’t care much for the buttermilk bun. The fries are good, some of the best here.

Later I tried their smashed potatoes and Cajun rice. Nothing to write about. But the spicy and mild chicken parts were the Best! Its a 4 piece combination of Spicy and Mild (you pick) and basically half a chicken: leg, thigh, breast, wing. Its very hard to find whole chicken parts here, even at KFC or McDonalds. They have mostly nuggets, boneless, and maybe a leg.

As for sandwiches, I get the Spicy Chicken with Poppyseed bun – yum!

Sadly, they don’t have gizzards – my favorite. Maybe some day.