Popeyes Bets Big on National Advertising Spend, Restaurant Remodels: ‘Our Strategy Is Clear’

Miami-based Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is taking its Easy to Love campaign to new heights, according to QSR, with the restaurant brand focused on increasing its national advertising spend, undergoing significant remodels from coast to coast, and upgrading its operational infrastructure to meet the demands of the modern era.

The Easy to Love strategy, which kicked off in 2023, outlines a plan for ramped-up media investment and a cohesive restaurant aesthetic. In terms of the former portion, 5% of sales (up from 4.5%) will be spent on national advertising in year one, reaching 5.5% by year three, per Restaurant Business — should franchisee profitability thresholds be met. In return, the company will provide franchisees with a $4,000 royalty credit on a per-restaurant basis, a move that will cost Popeyes $10.5 million in total.

Concerning the brand’s restaurants, a modernized look is in the cards as Popeye’s seeks a unified image across its locations. That chainwide remodel is slated to be executed by 2030.

“Taken together, the amendment supports our commitment to delivering impactful brand messaging, achieving modern image, and providing greater flexibility and alignment for our franchisees,” Restaurant Brands International (RBI) CEO Josh Kobza said during the company’s Q4 earnings call.

“For Popeyes, our strategy is clear: attract more people to try our food and ensure every guest receives a consistently great experience. Our food quality speaks for itself, so delivering consistently exceptional guest experiences will be key to unlocking further growth,” said Patrick Doyle, RBI’s executive chairman.

Popeyes To Modernize Its Infrastructure in a Variety of Ways

In addition to the two major pillars of Popeyes’ strategy outlined above, the fast-food chain is also modernizing its operational infrastructure (a plan titled “Easy to Run”). Following an extensive testing period of 18 months across 200 locations, the orange brand indicated it was ready to deploy changes to all restaurants nationwide.

Beneath that Easy to Run banner, Popeyes wants each of its U.S. restaurants to be equipped with “cloud-based POS systems, digital drop charts, sticky label printers, order-ready boards, kiosks, and upgraded back-of-house equipment (auto batter makers and improved hot holding units),” as QSR outlined.

“These upgrades enhance the team member experience, reduce wait times, and improve order accuracy, all while preserving the brand’s unique Louisiana culinary heritage and our food quality,” Kobza said. “During a recent visit to Orlando and to Houston, which are hub markets for Easy to Run, I saw firsthand how operators who have embraced these improvements are already delivering notable performance gains.”

Popeyes closed out 2024 with the addition of 97 U.S. stores — bringing the total to 3,148 — and saw a modest same-store sales increase of 0.1% in Q4.