Popeyes now open on Classen Boulevard
May 8—Norman's newest restaurant brings a Cajun twist to fast food.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is now open at 3263 Classen Blvd.
The location opened Monday, but the official ribbon cutting took place Wednesday. In the restaurant's first few days, lines for the drive-thru have wrapped twice around the building as customers try to get a taste of Norman's newest fried chicken.
There was previously a Popeyes location at 1310 E. Lindsey St., but as of now, the Classen location is the only open location in Norman. There are 11 other Popeyes locations in the OKC metro, but the closest is about half an hour's drive away.
The Norman location was developed by DDP Norman Venture LLC, which purchased the land from Southlake Classen LLC in April 2023.
Popeyes' menu includes fried chicken, fried shrimp and Southern sides like biscuits or beans and rice, but they're perhaps most well-known nationally for their chicken sandwich.
When Popeyes introduced the sandwich to menus in August 2019, it launched the "chicken sandwich wars," a social media marketing trend where Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Wendy's and other popular fast food chains claimed the superiority of their own chicken sandwiches.
The International Business Times estimated that the social media tiff generated up to $23 million in ad value for Popeyes.
The sandwich sent consumers into a frenzy; Popeyes announced it had sold out of the sandwich nationwide two weeks after its release, and the sandwich did not return to menus for two months.
The sandwich prompted fried chicken competitors such as KFC, Church's and Zaxby's to introduce their own sandwiches. Several burger fast food chains, such as Carl's Jr., Burger King and Jack in the Box, also introduced their own chicken sandwiches in the following months.
