YOUNGSTOWN Popeyes Cajun-style chicken eateries coming to area

Popeyes is named after a film character, not the spinach-eating sailor.
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A group of Chicago-area investors is making plans to introduce the Mahoning and Shenango valleys to the spicy, Cajun-style cooking featured by the Popeyes Chicken & amp; Biscuits restaurant chain.
The investors, calling themselves Sweet Pea Inc., have signed a franchise agreement with Atlanta-based Popeyes to develop 10 restaurants in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties and Sharon, Pa.
Chris Ondrula, general counsel for the group, said three local sites already have been secured.
The first, under construction on Mahoning Avenue, Austintown, in front of Wal-Mart, is set to open in September. Building permits were approved Tuesday for the second, to be built on state Route 14 in Salem, also in front of a Wal-Mart store.
The third will be on South Avenue in Boardman on the former Putt-Putt Golf site.
Opening targets
Ondrula said the Salem store will open by year's end and the Boardman store early in 2004. He's planning to visit the area with a Sweet Pea representative later next week to scout for other sites.
The Salem and Austintown stores will seat 48, and the Boardman store will seat 66. Popeyes restaurants generally employ 15 to 20.
Popeyes, which calls itself the world's second-largest, quick-service chicken restaurant chain, features Louisiana-style and Southern-style recipes.
Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes is now a subsidiary of AFC Enterprises Inc., also parent company to Cinnebon and several other restaurant and coffee chains. AFC trades under Nasdaq under the symbol AFCEE.
The chain was named after Popeye Doyle, a character played by actor Gene Hackman in the 1970s-era movie "The French Connection," and not after Popeye, the spinach-eating sailor cartoon character.
Worldwide locations
Popeyes has more than 1,744 locations in 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 20 other countries and reported worldwide sales of about $2.7 billion in 2002.
Ondrula said the Sweet Pea investors were familiar with the Mahoning and Shenango valley areas because some of them are also partners in a franchise group, Downtown Restaurants, which operates 42 Burger King restaurants in this region, as well as in Cleveland and Dayton.
"We've had such a great experience with the Burger King restaurants there," he said, citing good sales and cooperation from local government officials. "It's always been so good, you don't want to break from success."
vinarsky@vindy.com