Love that chicken from Popeyes?
No question, a lot of us do, in fact, appreciate a bucket of Popeyes with a biscuit and some mashed potatoes. But fans of the restaurant may be in danger of seeing their local location go away after a major franchisee has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
According to USA Today, Sailormen, Inc., out of Miami, made the filing on Thursday. The report said the franchisee is nearly $130 million in debt.
The reason?
Well, per USA Today, court documents filed by Sailormen Inc. blamed “lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and an ‘increasingly limited qualified labor force,’ “ for its current state.
USA Today said that Sailormen Inc. also noted that it attempted to sell 16 Popeyes locations in 2023, but the deal fell through.
The outlet reported that it is currently unclear which locations or how many may be closed in the bankruptcy. The good news for Popeyes fans outside of Florida and Georgia is that Sailormen Inc.’s restaurants were spread across those two states.
At one point, per USA Today, Sailormen Inc. was founded in 1984, and at one point it had restaurants across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi. However, it sold off its holdings in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi.
That left it with just the 136 stores across Georgia and Florida.
So, for Popeyes fans outside of those states, it appears that, at least for now, your local restaurant is safe. For folks in those states who love Popeyes, though, there may be nervous days ahead.
