Popeyes has entered into a master franchise agreement with Silla Co., Ltd. (“Silla Group) to develop and open hundreds of Popeyes restaurants across South Korea in the coming years, according to a press release. The first unit is scheduled to open this year.

“We are thrilled to launch Popeyes with the Silla Group subsidiary. We have strong confidence in the group and are pleased to announce exciting plans to bring our iconic Louisiana-style chicken to one of the largest chicken QSR markets in the world” David Shear, president of RBI International, parent company of Popeyes, said in the release. “Our entry illustrates our commitment to serving more guests around the world and the execution of our growth plans for the Asia Pacific region.”

Popeyes operates more than 3,600 restaurants in more than 25 countries around the world.

“Chicken is one of the largest and fastest-growing categories in the South Korean QSR segment,” MoonKyung Lee, senior managing director of Silla Group’s F&B Division, said in the release. “We are proud to bring the famous Popeyes brand to South Korea and we believe that our guests will love Popeyes iconic chicken sandwich. Popeyes is an exciting addition to the Silla Group’s F&B portfolio and is expected to become one of the key drivers of growth for us. It will also contribute significantly to the economy by creating hundreds of new jobs over the coming years. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Today’s announcement reflects the global appeal of Popeyes and contributes to the ambitious brand expansion plan globally. In 2021, Popeyes announced agreements to enter the United Kingdom, Romania, France and India, and to expand in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Other international expansions over the past years include Spain, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The Silla Group subsidiary’s first Popeyes restaurant in South Korea is scheduled to open in 2022.

RBI operates the Tom Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs brands around the globe.

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