Popeyes wants to open 40 restaurants in Portugal and create 1,000 jobs

RBI Iberia is preparing to launch Popeyes in Portugal. Within five years, starting in 2022, they want to open over 40 restaurants of the chain specialised in chicken, create up to a thousand new jobs, involving an investment of over €50 million. After launching the brand in Spain two years ago, RBI Iberia is now making a “strategic investment” in the domestic market.

“Portugal is a strategic market for us and so we have an ambitious growth plan with our own and franchised restaurants. To carry this out, we want to find local partners with whom we can grow and develop the brand in the country”, Maria Jimenez, director of RBI franchises, tells ECO.

In Spain, not even the pandemic has prevented the expansion of the North American brand of restaurants specialising in chicken. “The acceptance in Spain has been very good. An example of this success is that our goal was to close the year with around 30 restaurants and we plan to close the year with around 50. Our aim is to become the first option for eating chicken,” adds Maria Jimenez.

Despite the health crisis – which has imposed strong limitations on restaurants – the RBI Iberian operation, which is a master franchiser, has resisted. “The restaurant sector has been one of the most affected by the pandemic, but our results have not fallen as much as the industry average and this is due to sustained recognition in recent years and the development of alternative channels for restaurants, such as drive-in and delivery,” guarantees the franchising director. “In Portugal, we have not closed any restaurants. In 2020, we opened around 20 restaurants and in 2021 we plan to open 30 restaurants and create 1,000 jobs.”