Fried Chicken Wars: The Curse of Popeyes

[@ModernMBA]

🚀 For a free strategic alignment guide with evolved SWOT analysis, visit Organizational Physics. Click here: organizationalphysics.com/strategic-alignment-guide-modern-mba/ 0:00 Love That Chicken 9:12 One Man's Trash Is Another's Treasure 19:51 Choices Comes With Consequences 29:06 Contemporary Deja Vu

[@death-istic9586]

Hi.

[@erichpizer1]

we have one Popeys Chicken for 70 million people in South Africa , Pretoria, a country the size of two Texas states back to back

[@tommysherman7155]

I want my children to be gay

[@TheSmark666]

The best fast-food-tier chicken strips and chicken sandwich I've ever had was at a chain-restaurant called "Slim Chickens." They are so much better than Popeyes, KFC, Chik-fil-a, Raising Canes, and every other fast-food chain offering fried chicken.

[@AMPProf]

BUT POPEYES IS FKN AWESOME😥😭

[@MarvinPowell1]

It seems bizarre to me how rare market research and actually asking the customers what they want, is so rare amongst huge corporations to where it seems like Popeyes were the first ones to do these very basic, common sense things.

[@raaaaaaaaaam496]

Well often customers are wrong. “If we made this sandwich would you buy it?” “Yeah absolutely” And then never buys it. You can’t just rely on what customers say but instead need to rely on what they do.

[@Chillnote]

@@raaaaaaaaaam496 Thats one reason why apple is successful

[@alastairhewitt380]

Agreed. With new innovations - especially in tech - maybe "the customer doesn't know what they want until you show it to them," can work, but with the daily act of feeding ourselves they better listen! We know what we like and can tell when the quality of something changes

[@triadwarfare]

​@@Chillnoteand yet their innovation's falling off a cliff. Then again, its their fanboys and their cult that's keeping Apple alive.

[@Myanmartiger921]

@@triadwarfare they can write a check and buy anything they want

[@dmacpher]

RBI international and 3G has completely gutted Tim Hortons here in Canada. Centralized their supply chain to the point of destroying the “freshness” that made the brand so successful. It’s amazing how bad they missed the value proposition in their market analysis.

[@mistertexaz]

I visited Toronto driving through Niagra last year, and all I saw was Tim Hortons everywhere. It was like Starbucks on steroids

[@dmacpher]

@@mistertexaz Yup - location growth and international expansion has been a big focus. But a great example of the quality decline is the coffee bean supplier they used to use. To save a few cents per unit they swapped to a new one and McDonald’s Canada ended up taking the old one. McDonald’s coffee now far better than Tim Hortons

[@Saltpork305]

@@dmacpher To me this is the fundamental flaw RBI simply does not understand. What keeps customers coming back is good food experiences, not flashy ads or expansion. I was eating popeyes at least once a week when the chicken sandwich craze happened as I love bone in fried chicken. I have since stopped going because poor customer service, long wait times and bad food quality is a pass. It's the trifecta of suck. Popeyes in recent years became the 'Louisiana' KFC. Don't sacrifice your food quality for the point of efficiency. That's what got fast food the bad rep it had in the first place. To properly make something that is tasty and fried means more work, not less and it means a less processed product overall.

[@econmediocre]

​@@dmacpherokay but the big "Timmies-McDs Coffee Switch" was a decade ago... if Tim Hortons is making more money today than it ever was before, was it actually a "mistake"? Or at the very least, a *big enough* mistake that consumers would penalize the brand for? One could easily argue that the coffee switch was, at best, irrelevant to operations (but it did save them a gargantuan amount of money on the supply end).

[@econmediocre]

is the Tim Hortons brand suffering? From the data, I mean.

[@olandir]

Another reminder that whenever you put shareholder/investor profits above all else, your product/company will collapse. The reason why this keeps happening is that investor/shareholders don't care if a company fails as long as they get to make money. They can just go on to the next thing and milk it dry for profits. They're like locusts...and somehow this is touted as a good thing.

[@ron.hertzberg]

Does Apple not ring a bell to you. Lmao Or nike. Hahaha or disney.ARE YOU NUTS?

[@ThePigsmasher]

This happens time and time again and yet we keep going with this shit. Insanity.

[@JD-hr6dr]

That's not quite accurate. The shareholders do care if the business collapses because their shares become worthless. The issue is, more specifically, its the C-suite executives who don't care, because of their golden parachures. They pursui short term profits at the expense of long term sustainability, all for their quarterly performance bonuses.

[@ArpanMukhopadhyay93]

Agreeed! I am a small time investor and I hate that investors just aren't invested enough into the companies. They are just for the money

[@lastnamefirstname2390]

PI actually PROFITS when a business fails. They load it with debt and sell off the physical locations. They make money, whether they fail or succeed.

[@ystar13]

I think the biggest issue with fast food here is quality control. Most places are poorly run. The exceptions like In-N-Out and Chic-fil-A are thriving for a reason. If the other places lived up to their existing menu, they would fare a lot better!

[@SunKing909]

True, here in the UK, the taste of each KFC store varies so much. One would be extremely bad and while others in the same city were so good. They need to maintain a control on franchisees quality

[@pothos489]

Yea IMO I feel like that's why despite the constant hubbub about the competition catching up, McDonalds is still king in the US. Like, a well made Whopper beats any McDonalds menu item, but do you really want to make that coinflip every time you go to a BK ? Even the same locations might vary widely in quality between visits. Or would you rather just get your unspectacular but reliable McDs order that you already know exactly how it will taste before even eating it.

[@williamford9564]

But this is because this is a FRANCHISE operation. Corporate doesn't care as long as they continue to generate new franchise fees, advertising royalties and other things to soak the franchisees.

[@ssanc6]

​@@pothos489I have heard McDonald's is better outside the US

[@Wheelman2004]

@@SunKing909 Here in America, KFC is quite consistent. No matter which KFC you go to, you know you're getting something awful.

[@octoturt]

it's kind of nuts that it took so long to popularize the idea of "a chicken sandwich that doesn't suck" outside of chick-fil-a

[@mercster]

This sandwich went viral on the Internet with segments of the population, and it became a trend. The sandwich is good, but not some revolutionary evolution of the chicken sandwich.

[@undercomposition]

​@@mercsterI think it was elevated as an equal quality but non-bigoted alternative to Chick-fil-A by news outlets and social media due to the intense dislike of Chick-fil-A.

[@dressedtosmellgood]

Chil fila isn't even good

[@Yinyanyeow]

​@@dressedtosmellgoodThis. ALL of this

[@HH-le1vi]

​@@undercompositionif dislike for Chick-fil-A was that high, they wouldn't have lines wrapped around the building and causing traffic backups. Popeyes never marketed itself as non-bigoted. The reality is that the Popeyes sandwich is just better. It's got better pickles, sauce, and the chicken is actually crunchy and well portioned.

[@WIZZIGG]

I loved the Popeyes chicken sandwich when it first came out and, although I seldom eat out, when I did I went to Popeyes quite frequently. I haven’t been to Popeyes in at least a year now because the quality has just steadily decreased and the price has gone up in my experience.

[@HamHamHampster]

Yeah, first Popeyes chicken sandwich I had was amazing. I haven't had a good one since.

[@lenorevanalstine1219]

the one near me has kept the higher quality so could be an issue at specific locations

[@thephoenixcycle8854]

Yep like everything.

[@Ash_Yu]

3 times I've tried to give the Popeyes sandwich a chance only to encounter that weird rubbery crunch that raw chicken has. I tried 2 different locations too. Fuck the hype, I really tried to jump on, but I can't trust a place with such bad quality control that they repeatedly serve undercooked chicken

[@ivy_47]

Same; the past 3 popeyes sandwiches I tried had a horrendously firm texture. I even noticed this on Pollo Campero; so much for them being a viable alternative @@Ash_Yu

[@RidleyJones]

Cheryl's combination of reflectiveness, empathy, and analytical-mindedness seems wonderful and, sadly, unusual.

[@dinogt8477]

no

[@overseasguy]

​@luke5100Steve Jobs was not empathetic or reflective

[@goobiedoobi]

@luke5100 Cheryl was the anti steve jobs

[@rickyayy]

She should run for president

[@electrictroy2010]

@luke5100 NO Steve Jobs was described by employees as being a dictatorial boss. It’s one of the main reasons he was fired in 1985. When he returned in the late 90s his demeanor had improved, but he was still tyrannical .

[@FullLengthInterstates]

It's amazing how interest rates impact everything. Raised prices on the former dollar menu, and reducing quality on mid price products. We are in the process of finding out exactly just how sustainable the givens of the 2010s truly are.

[@redwolfexr]

The main driver for food price increases was the rise of "free" delivery -- the restaurants had to increase prices to offset the delivery cost. Some places had different prices in app and at location (some still do) but they found it really pissed off their customers when they noticed. (it was still advertised as free delivery) So that added like 25 percent on TOP of inflation to most menu prices.

[@1_Fish.2_Fish.Red_Fish.]

I use to be involved in a gummy worm MLM if that helps.

[@flyingdaytrader]

I loved the Popeyes chicken sandwich and got it all the time, then over time the quality got less and less and now I haven't been in a couple years. They killed the thing that made them special by dropping quality and then not fixing their customer service while they had the hype.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

My local Popeyes is great . The one near my job , I have to check the bag to make sure the order is right . Management is everything

[@mikem3789]

Shocking.

[@jacobstrouble6631]

Customer service, huh? So obvious when a Chic-fil-a shill posts negative comments. How exactly was the quality reduced? Please tell us.

[@jacobstrouble6631]

@luke5100 How about answering the question about your claims? Let me guess, you can't. You must have just been butt hurt about someone making a Popeye's video.

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

Ive been to three popeyes in my life, two near me in the suburbs and one in a somewhat sketchy area in the city. The two near me have service as good as any fast food place, sometimes better. The one i went to in the city ran about as well as any fast food place in that area, which is to say, badly.

[@gamingweasel4633]

Surprisingly, the best fried chicken I can get in my immediate area is made by the grocery store. Whoever is cooking it there is doing it just right. In terms of spices it's pretty standard, but once I get it home, I augment it with some cajun spice.

[@scotts8684]

and you get more fried chicken for the money.

[@gamingweasel4633]

@@scotts8684 Definitely.

[@johngalt5205]

I'm eating Albertson's spicy Hot Wings as I type this. I was going to go to Popeye's this morning after seeing the first 1/2 of the video, but they were closed. I'm glad I didn't go since the quality is in the crapper.

[@durururururururu]

under Cheryl, Popeye's success was inevitable. but when they fired her and started expanding, It became just another fastfood brand.

[@asullivan4047]

Quantity out paces quality as a food chain over expands & looses focus on the products quality.

[@Morotr75]

Private equity isn't about making a brand succeed, it is about extracting as much wealth from it as possible.

[@kristjanwashere]

my reason for not going to Popeyes is that they kept screwing up the sandwich after waiting multiple times in long lines. It was really great one or two times, then really bad for the rest of them. They don't have consistency and are notorious for bad service

[@baronvonjo1929]

I have only personally ever been to one. The sandwich was kinda cold but honestly look commercial ready and tasted good. But it wasn't fresh. My brother went one time and the employee had bedroom shorts, flip flops, and a attitude. Plus got the order wrong. That's honestly why I just don't give them a chance really. They make you feel like your existence is an annoyance.

[@vdinh143]

​@@baronvonjo1929I just make my own chicken burgers after trying it out once

[@Epic_C]

Most employees there can't read so you'll have to take what you can get.

[@junyaiwase]

@@baronvonjo1929hey man cant hate on the comfy attire everything else is valid

[@junyaiwase]

@@Epic_Cwhat are you even talking about? Lol

[@dan4191231]

Fast food could be so much better. I don’t eat McDonald’s or burger kind or kfc. Once in awhile if I’m desperate, maybe Wendy’s. But mostly chipotle or Panda Express. They’ve taken food quality to the bottom of the barrel and the prices have shot up. I worked at Wendy’s from around 2008-2016 on and off and saw firsthand how quality deteriorated. They used to cut onion and lettuce everyday in store, but switched to pre cut that came in plastic containers. Also they used to open individual ingredients for chili and make it like I would at home, but now it comes in a nasty looking plastic bag all made up. Very sad.

[@CS-ru4xd]

Those Cheddar and Bacon baked potatoes, though!! 😍lol

[@catherinesanchez1185]

Taco Bell back in the day , used to make a lot of their stuff from scratch .

[@HeronPoint2021]

@Luke5100 same in Canada long Kingsway in Van. and Burnaby. One KFC sells day old chicken, poor service, don't care employees related to the franchise owner; the other has ROCKED for decades: NEVER sells day old, great people, and it's even hard to get to off the main drag, but still sells big time.

[@tristan7216]

The last time I went to Wendy's I got a chicken salad. I accidentally got something spicy, so the dressing was inedible to me (my fault). When I ate the pieces of chicken they had the strangest texture, not like chicken, more like soft tofu, but not even that, like the meat had been cooked in a way that broke down it's structure entirely. It was the worst salad I'd ever had in my life. I concluded that they'd been bought by a hedge fund and were in the "cost cutting" phase, and never went back. That store closed a few years ago. When I was a kid they had the best fast food.

[@MissMyMusicAddiction]

what's interesting about the comments about chick-fil-a is that, in my town, the stores are easily the busiest in the area. the lines go on forever, but the vehicle flow is gigantic

[@undercomposition]

In my view the entire reason for the Chicken Sandwich Wars was because of Chick-fil-A's profit per store.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

They’ve been very careful to not cannibalize their locations . Not to mention being closed on Sunday’s which generates demand on Saturday

[@MissRora]

@luke5100 I've known fast food managers who wound up going several weeks in a row without a single day off due to people not showing up. The fact that they're guaranteed one day off a week at CFA is something I certainly approve of.

[@flprtc]

I see people talking about 3G capital in the comments and, as a brazilian, let me tell you, the guys that run it are also the owners of Lojas Americanas and Ambev (Ab-Inbev). They were recently caught in the biggest accounting fraud ever with Lojas Americanas, with a unregistered debt of 40 billion reais. They basically bought products from suppliers, got a loan from the bank to pay the suppliers and, instead of categorizing the loan as debt, they put it under logistic costs. They are also being investigated for tax fraud regarding the production of beverages in Ambev. Definetly not the good guys and I won't be surprised if eventually their other ventures fail. Lojas Americanas' case is very recent and interesting if anyone wonders about markets and economics in Brazil

[@Linkinbassist]

The one thing that really stands out above all else when it comes to shareholder capitalism, and in particular the aggressive brand of Venture Capitalism we see more and more of in today's economy, is how short-sighted it can be relative to its drive for greater profits. Firms will buy a brand or product and fundamentally misunderstand that product's place in the market, it's history and identity, the cultural impact of the product and even what fundamentally underpins its popularity or significance. I couldn't think of anything worse than being the guy who killed Tim Hortons as a business by cutting its heart out, or being in the room that signed off that KFC-Cheetos monstrosity just to get the partnership dollars in. It always astounds me how these galaxy-brain CEO's and their C-suite 'adults in the room' always fundamentally fail at understanding their products beyond the revenue numbers, then are surprised when the trust thermocline hits and no one trusts the product anymore.

[@chrisstroud1915]

Corporate raiders are a plague on our society

[@TNMJAD]

They understand, but they’re trying to sell 90 cents for a dollar. You can’t do it with cash because everyone can obviously see it’s a bad deal. But if you turn a $1 sandwich into a 90 cent sandwich and sell it for a dollar you can make it work for a short time.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

Just because they’re suite doesn’t mean they’re that smart nor have vision . Being able to balance a spreadsheet means nothing in the long term but these guys are rewarded for short term gains . As long as our corporations operate this way , this will continue

[@PrezVeto]

The elephant in the room: the conventional wisdom regarding what's important in executives is wrong.

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

​@@PrezVetovery true. Private Equity, or most CEOs in general are motivated by extremely short term gains at the expense of stability and long term viability. In other words, they care about today and today only because they are guaranteed a higher paying job across the street tomorrow.

[@REDSIX]

What I never understood about the multi branded locations was the lack of cross over menu items. Like who would t have wanted a kfc burrito? A nacho pizza. It was a easy layup, they already had the ingredients there and the bricked into infinity.

[@thinlion01]

Idk man sounds gross lol

[@Scroogs]

Nacho pizza 💀

[@jaerockchalk3216]

the issue with cross overs at least in canada , is the KFC+Taco bells CRUSHED TACO BELLS quality .

[@undercomposition]

The avoidance of covering Chick-fil-A in this video when they are the primary reason for the Chicken Sandwich Wars is absolutely insane to me.

[@rcen9706]

I’m curious as to why they would do that, do you happen to have any ideas as to why?

[@duhduh666]

I would speculate it’s available locations in an area. I’m in the Midwest in a second tier city near Chicago. There is one Chick Fil E vs 8 Popeyes

[@Ash_Yu]

Seriously, it's really bizzare. The video even goes on about Popeye's "inventing the groundbreaking chicken sandwhich" and frequently compares them to KFC... but not one mention of CFA

[@meevil24]

This is like making a Metal Gear Rising video without a Nanomachines reference

[@WilliamWatrous]

​@@duhduh666that's because Chick-fil-A is incredibly selective for who they let franchise their restaurants

[@NuttyElf]

So im not the only one who tried the sandwiches recently and noticed a huge quality difference.

[@brian_castro]

I can tell you for certain that cost cutting measures at Popeye's by corporate is taking a visible toll on the quality of it's product. I've gone several times to a location that opened a year ago. When that place first opened, the quality of the food was impeccable, wait times weren't that slow and the touch screen soda fountain was fully stocked. The last few times, the soda machine has 90 percent of its drinks grayed out and unavailable. The only thing that doesn't run out is dr pepper or most diet flavors. The bathrooms are filthy. They run out of menu items frequently. I ordered the mac and cheese and they didn't have any.

[@Epic_C]

I don't think the problem is so much corporate, but the identity politics the franchises bring into their hiring practices.

[@Ramonatho]

​@Epic_C you guys work so hard to say you're not racist

[@CSmith-hx2pm]

@@Epic_Ctheir hiring practices haven’t changed significantly since the leadership change. Your “identity politics” comment is a really lazy racist dog whistle. I hope you grow out of this someday

[@728huey]

I wish the big corporate CEO's would learn this lesson: you can't cut your way to profitability.

[@Fermion.]

@@Epic_C You've left 4 or 5 replies in different threads on this same video, all with the same passive-aggressive racist undertones. My guy, why do you care so much about a fast food place? I feel like a brotha from Popeyes must have stolen your girl or something, or maybe your life is just that pathetic, that you get your kicks leaving thinly-veiled racist remarks onine? Which is it? Both, perhaps?

[@NaniteAlex]

Great job, loved your consistent attention to detail and steady delivery

[@SFVYachtClub]

A few years back I went to try the new sandwich at Popeye's with a Chinese exchange student, and that was the first time he had ever seen a gun drawn and fired in anger, and over a fried chicken sandwich. He was terrified, and I was feeling uneasy about some 5'3 Edgars looking at us funny from their clapped out G35's, but we still got our sammiches. They were just okay. 8/10

[@av_oid]

“They were just ok” should be a 5/10. So the rest of the points were all for the experience? :)

[@SFVYachtClub]

@@av_oid for the unusually polite service and extra sauces they gave us

[@gswdeclan]

The pay of US CEOs and other corporate executives is even more obscene when you realize they're almost all basically the equivalent of mediocre .250 hitters in baseball. They're interchangeable but they have MBAs so companies feel compelled to pay them more than their competitors pay their similarly crappy executives.

[@Aircalibur]

They're not interchangeable. Some of them run the company into the ground, some of them are completely ineffective at bringing about any change, and some of them completely turn the company around for the better. It's true that the default salary for a CEO, for instance, is high, but it's not like it stays high if he cannot do his job properly.

[@alainchristian]

KFC fell off. Their chicken is mad small. I want the giant mutant chicken drumsticks of Popeyes.

[@iam9991000]

Yeah, the most recent time I've had KFC it tasted like sadness.

[@vali69]

'giant mutan chicken' man I swear, have you ever seen or held a chicken in your hands? Kfc has unbelievably small chicken drums and wings, it's like they're using 2 month old chicks. At least here in my country they're surprisingly good, and they have a few pretty nice sandwiches too though they're small.

[@sigmascrub]

Ordered a 4-piece meal to split with a friend. Got 3 small pieces and what was pretty much a bone-in chicken nugget. Never went back

[@alainchristian]

@@sigmascrub Ha ha ha ha I'm so sorry but also that's hilarious!

[@TehFlush]

​@@iam9991000last time I went to KFC like three years ago, I had to wait about an hour for my order because all but one of the employees quit on the spot

[@doughboy-dad]

It was surprising how little was said in this video about how Popeyes compared with Chic-fil-A, as they were the main competitor for the chicken sandwich when it was launched. Surely Chic-fil-A's expansion in the 2010's had something to do with their decisions. Yet the video focused on their competition with KFC.

[@thomaspursel2382]

Well what do you have to say about that

[@doughboy-dad]

@@thomaspursel2382 ❓

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

KFC is the market leader, so that invites comparison. CFA is a niche outlet with a specific demographic so comparison there is much less meaningful.

[@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407]

Regarding China, Popeyes face a lot of competition there. McDonald's and KFC are very well established there and have many special local products that people love. Also McDonald's in China comes up with new seasonal products very frequently, unlike McDonald's outside Asia. Popeyes had the famous chicken sandwich, but in every McDonald chain in China they offer a spicy fried chicken sandwich, a product that they'd been selling for more than a decade (which was also my personal favorite). I was surprised to find that it doesn't exist in McDonald's in Europe. So it's not that easy for Popeyes, and they have closed many stores.

[@ivy_47]

I've tried KFC in Taiwan and Serbia and both blow the typical American equivalent out of the water for sure.

[@dirkdisco2316]

Dicos FTW! Thats the best fast food chicken in China

[@CrakenX]

I actually feel like Popeye's was better prior to The Chicken Sandwich. They used to sell some absolutely delicious, flaming hot Creole and Cajun spicy chicken sandwiches - unique products you couldn't find at any other chain. I believe they got rid of those from their menu when they introduced the bland, plain old chicken sandwich. Now you can find competing chicken sandwiches on every street corner and Popeye's offers no distinguishing value prop.

[@GakkiSai]

Amen!

[@lucassatie]

It's interesting seeing how Popeyes was able to grow so well despite its customer service issues. I was one of those that was so deterred by their terrible service that I haven't actually eaten Popeyes since roughly 2014, though it wasn't for lack of trying as I had to walk away from Popeyes three times without food in the subsequent three years. At that point, it was "three strikes, you're out!" and I haven't even thought about Popeyes since (at least not until this video popped up on my feed).

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

That's curious. The two locations near me have always been somewhat above average service wise. The only time I've been disappointed was when I went to a store in a crappy area of the city... But everything is lousy there so...

[@VinnieGer]

I will admit, it was funny seeing a guy buy like forty sandwiches and try to upsell them in the streets.

[@Jeffdoeswhat]

I stopped going to Popeyes due to how slow their drive thru is. Used to eat there weekly now haven’t been in months. It would take 15-35 minutes in the drive thru with only 4-5 cars in line.

[@bak-mariterry5180]

Longer if you went inside.

[@PorcoPartyof6]

Good, fast, cheap...pick two...

[@seanthe100]

They ghetto af sometimes, but i had a New one in my town that was quick

[@AgentOffice]

​@@seanthe100yes mine are only in the ghetto

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

​@@AgentOfficeI have two suburban locations near me, both are excellent and reasonably quick.

[@jettrooper101]

I can go to chickfila and have a great sandwhich quickly 9 times out of 10. With popeyes, its like 1 out 10. That 1 time may be better than chickfila, but I don't like risking a nearly unedible sandwhich most of the time.

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

The store near my work is incredibly consistent, never got a bad meal there. Locations in the city can get sketchy, but that's true of any chain. On the other hand, chick a fil has lower quality baseline and, even here in the suburbs, really poor service.

[@leejones8977]

I've definitely waited 45 minutes for undercooked tenders at a Popeyes in Chicago before. The cook looked fresh out of prison and it seemed like he was more interested in staring at guests through the window to the kitchen than actually frying chicken. 😂

[@avgjoeavglife]

Well, Chicago is not known for having the best people around....

[@Epic_C]

Sounds pretty much like every Popeyes

[@CS-ru4xd]

😂😂😂😂

[@Digger-Nick]

Ah black people

[@SV-kr9fu]

Actually, I have had pretty decent customer service at Popeye's on the Northwest Side of Chicago (Jefferson Park). And now that I am living in Hawai'i, the customer service at Popeye's here is a bit better than the one in Jeff. Park.

[@melodramatic7904]

As an American who's lived in various countries over the past 20 years, it's amazing to hear that fast food companies have struggled to poplarize the chicken sandwich. I just checked the KFC menu in the states and it really just has the one chicken sandwich and their variations, whereas in Italy they have 5 different chicken sandwiches plus a variation on two of them.

[@JuneBaby01]

And in Italy, just like in all of Europe, they prefer to have the American style chicken sandwich...hell, IMO even the pizza in the US is better than in Italy, on the whole!

[@melodramatic7904]

@JuneBaby01 I actually disagree. The chicken sandwiches here are different even though KFC is an American company. I checked both menus before I posted and not one of the Italian sandwiches is on the US menu. And the pizzas in the US can't hold a candle to the ones in Italy. However, I believe you when you say YOU prefer American pizza. My family put it best when they came to Italy for my wedding. They said they were so used to the unhealthy US pizzas that the freshness of the Italian ingredients tasted strange to them.

[@RaynmanPlays]

I'd love for Popeye's to focus on increasing the seafood side of their menu. The last Long John Silver's in my town closed down a few years ago and having a fast food place where I can get fried clams and fish would be nice.

[@smeagle3295]

The problem is that if you cook the first fish in the same fryers as the chicken, it makes the chicken taste like crap. You have to be a fan of the long John’s of the world to want to eat at a place that does that, and most of us don’t.

[@RaynmanPlays]

@@smeagle3295 That's why you use separate fryers, as I'm sure Popeye's _already does_ with its shrimp.

[@kebonhawk1081]

​@@smeagle3295 I worked in fast food when younger and the establishment had multiple fryers. Each one was for different items. Done deal. I have no idea about LJS but I never had a problem with the chicken tasting like fish, hush puppies, or clams. Or any combination thereof.

[@creeeamu3183]

Always love your extensive research into these companies! Im curious how you find your resources. Is there a particular website that helps you find all these studies?

[@MatthewSingapore]

great question. he definitely reads the company`s SEC disclosure. would imagine he also reads reports generated by analysts (which are typically not available w/out payment).

[@Dyanosis]

Popeyes has reigned supreme, eh? Just because CFA is closed on Sundays doesn't mean that they aren't literally "the original" and the one that people still can't get enough of. Tell you what - CFA always has a line. Popeyes doesn't even have enough people to warrant a queue.

[@cookiesandpudding8485]

Out here popeyes always has a longer queue than CFA or KFC. The chicken at the ones in my area makes me nauseous so I don’t eat it, but it’s probably quite more popular than you think, especially by region.

[@Jays0050]

Depends on the income in the areas if you are in a higher income area that has both, Chick-fil-A will have the bigger line. Lower income area the Popeyes n certain other restaurants become more visited

[@Supermoneygang12]

CFA is regional…

[@darkisatari]

@@Supermoneygang12isn’t Popeye’s just as much so?

[@amongoose1087]

Go to a Popeyes near a low income neighborhood and you'll see a full Popeyes, although judging from your comment you don't go out very much.

[@lovelydumpling]

Wait, it's not just me getting tired and bored of fast food? It's actually materially getting worse? Well shit.

[@undeniablySomeGuy]

The Popeye's chicken sandwich was so fucking good that it fundamentally changed my approach to the world. So often now, I eat at a moderately fancy place and just go "was this really worth 3 popeyes chicken sandwiches?" Whenever i buy anything, I quantify how much joy i get from it in terms of Popeye's chicken sandwiches

[@moonmessiah9368]

The original one at release that people were killing each other for was truiy amazing. I had 2 of them and it was a fundamental eating experience. After the 2 month break they came back but were never as good as those first two.

[@anon2427]

Comparison is the thief of joy

[@Capanel]

Always instantly click and watch. Thank you for uploading.

[@andycoolguy1]

Hey! Not sure if you'll see this, but I'd LOVE to see a full in-depth breakdown of the downfall of Tim Hortons! My town in particular has been hit by it, going from some 15 locations down to only 9 in the last 8-10 years or so, and I myself can give some incredible horror stories having worked there for almost a year back in 2022. Thanks ^^

[@ttopero]

Having worked at Wendy’s in the early 90’s when we had both a breaded, deep fried chicken sandwich & grilled chicken sandwich (regular bun with mayo, tomato, lettuce), with the spicy chicken & Monterey Jack chicken sandwich appearing in the same era, I was really surprised when this phenomenon happened a few years back. In my mind, it’d already been done by Wendy’s if not Chick-fil-a. We had a Popeyes in my Phoenix neighborhood the first half of the 20-teens but as described, it was a shack that I considered but never ate at. So what makes this sandwich so much better than the other options before or since?

[@fantscher]

It's really damn close to perfect when they do it right... no regular bun. No lettuce, tomatoes. It's the chicken speaking for itself and a great balance.

[@ChohatsuSensei]

I totally agree on this, I do remember the old Dave Thomas commercials for the their Spicy Chicken sandwich. Back then it was a limited time offering, but its popularity and the relative ease of preparation made it a permanent addition (yay!). Also back in the 90's spicy foods were not very common so it was rather unique at the time. To this day I still prefer Wendy's version , which has remained unchanged, over the competition.

[@mercster]

It was "Black Twitter" and social media, it went viral and suddenly all the cool kids wanted a chicken sandwich from Popeye's. The sandwich is good, but not some crazy new evolution of the product. This is an unintended success and I find it strange giving all the credit to corporate. I mean, that's how it works, the company had great success and whoever's on top at the time reaps the benefits (no problem with that), but the Internet's role in this success was hyoooooge.

[@themikeroberts]

I don't know exactly what caused the phenomenon, but it's significantly different than Chick-fil-A's sandwich. The pickles are better, the chicken breading is much thicker and contains a lot of corn starch so it's super crunchy, the bun is brioche which I think makes it much better, The sauce on the spicy one is also delicious, while Chick-fil-A's sandwich doesn't even have a sauce I think. It's common to add Chick-fil-A sauce but that's sickeningly sweet.

[@AMV_KINGDOM_mv]

​@@mercsterbruh it's just the chicken is better way better than chick-fila

[@JonCrs10]

The most annoying thing for me is, and always will be, the fact Americans love balancing novelty and familiarity but theres barely any effort to expose Americans to all the menu items from around the world. Ever look at all the incredibly Korean novelties at Korean KFC that you could totally see Americans enjoy? Especially when K-pop stans are apparently driving market trends enough to make Korean food familiar? I want South Afrian McDonald's, I want Vietnamese BK.

[@mattitude4464]

There are logistical concerns when you introduce ingredients that are either hard to source in a different country or would only be on a few items and not worth the hassle to bring in

[@__aceofspades]

Japan does this to the extreme, every month there are new items on the menu of fast food places, sometimes themed from other regions. American fast food seems more about retaining existing customers rather than getting new ones. Like when is the last time you truly went to a fast food chain due to a new item?

[@PrezVeto]

I've long thought the same thing. But to be clear, it's only true that Americans aren't exposed to enough foods from other countries within multinational fast food chains. In general there's nowhere on earth with a greater variety of foreign cuisine than the U.S.

[@Xellos14]

This reminds me meeting someone apparently higher up in the actual corporate ladder by chance at a mexican burger king. Being one of the only folks that spoke English in line we got chatting and he asked me how that burgerking held up. I told him it was better on all fronts, and the fries especially. He said the US ones are healthier, and I told em they taste like @$$. He looked at me like I had 2 heads lol

[@J5L5M6]

Probably the only place I'll see the title "Fried Chicken Wars" accompanied by ~40 minute viewing time and still gleefully click, knowing it's going to be great and I'll likely learn something, to boot. POST WATCH EDIT: I wasn't wrong and learned a GREAT deal more than anticipated. My thanks for another fantastic piece of work!

[@comfortscalling]

They just need to bring back their old biscuit recipe and they’ll be set.

[@KCFoolStrike]

This video would be spot on, in a world without Chick-fil-a. How can you ignore completely the reigning chicken sandwich restaurant in the U.S.? Popeyes took at a run at the Chick-fil-a throne, and lost.

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

CFA caters to a niche demographic and is hardly a market leader. Such a comparison is pointless.

[@kenthehobo]

Everybody's heard a story about someone getting stabbed or shot over a popeye's chicken sandwich

[@Yusuf-ok5rk]

part of the authentic experience

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

Everybody? Boy do I feel left out.

[@evgeniiiii]

You have a very comfortable pacing in your narration. Love your content👍

[@Some__Rando]

It's funny that the head of culinary development was hired away from Arby's (a sandwich shop) in 2007, presumably for their creativity in sandwich development. But then they worked at Popeyes for over TEN YEARS before they came up with a decent fried chicken sandwich.

[@lauraduplessis295]

I feel like there’s been wayyyy less emphasis on the Louisiana part of Popeyes that started when they got rid of dirty rice. I miss it so much

[@baronvonjo1929]

I only ever been once. The food was good and looked commercial ready. But the service was meh and it was sitting out for a while. I only tried it a few months ago after the hype. But the service is the biggest reason why I dont want to go.

[@bak-mariterry5180]

Their service stinks/ sucks. 15/ 20 minutes for a 2-piece with a biscuit. No thanks.

[@armamentarmedarm1699]

Every KFC I've ever set foot in in America has been a dump. Either it looked like the space had been repurposed from an auto parts store, or it looked like you'd expect a fast food place to look, if it had been used for batting practice for a couple of years, and if half the lights didn't work. I'm not some little princess who has to have everything fancy new and perfect. I don't really have a problem eating at a dump, if the food is good and not expensive. You don't have to do a half million dollar remodel every other year to keep me happy. But god damn, man.

Yet another amazing video/analysis! I have a small suggestion to improve the clarity of the graphs. Sometimes, the sub-header is an analysis, while other times, the sub-header is a "classic" label (as commonly used for graphs). This makes reading the graphs a little bit difficult as there is no harmony. I suggest sticking with the standard "label" mode. Examples: At minute 09:18, the sub-header of the graph states "Average Annual Sales of a domestic KFC relative to portfolio in thousands" (so it is simply a "label") At minute 27:00, the sub-header of the graph stages "Smaller pockets restricts expansion and increases risk" (it is an analysis rather than a "label")

[@Real_g.s.]

I am originally from New Orleans, and Popeyes was the best thing going, good, high quality products, and a spice that would set your tongue dancing. I mean, if you got a bite of where the seasonings settled in a nook or cranny, your eyes would water, it was THAT good, and I'm talking 1970's. All of a sudden, they went national, and half that "New Orleans flavor" was gone. Sold out to be like every other chicken chain in the country. Now, years after that, even, you can barely taste the spice, even if you order the spicy chicken. SAD. Give me a Chick Fil A sandwich any day.

[@DrDoomBloom]

Not only did this video open my eyes to the important work behind the scenes at Popeyes during their growth, but I also put together the pieces for my why my brief tenure as a Cinnabon employee as a teen was easily one of my worst jobs in terms of organization and care (early 2000s).

[@gotseoul123]

I gotta say, out of all the spicy chicken sandwiches Popeyes has the best one. Nobody else is even close IMO. Love me some Modern MBA videos !

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

I agree. Their spicy chicken is a stand out product.

[@ggdatboi]

The chicken sandwich was tested out for about 3 months here in Houston before it launched nation wide. I remember getting it then and it was sooo good. Once it went viral they were always sold out and cold whenever u did get one. It was a 3 months of bliss

[@henryi9738]

Fighting videos at Popeyes is what really made its chicken sandwich go viral. 🥊

[@firemarshal2629]

Eh, I’ll stick with Chic-Fila. I’m not risking getting shot or waiting for the chick to take my order to stop twerking on the roof of a car just to eat another chicken sandwich.

[@Che1seabluesdrogba11]

Why does taco bell not keep a permanent Volcano menu ??!! I eould literally go there more often

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

Taco Bell now has a rotating menu to create scarcity. They pull popular items from the menu, let the word get out, then make a big deal when they return It's really sh!tty manipulative marketing from their new CEO

[@javierjp8549]

Great video, thanks. Would suggest retailers that have expanded aggressively like Lidl/ALDI as an idea for your next deep dive

[@BuckBlaziken]

One of Popeye’s biggest franchisees is the US Military. Specifically the Army. It’s impossible to not find at least one Popeyes on any army base in the US. As a former government worker I can say comfortably that I’ve never had a bad experience with Popeyes in any army base. The service there was always speedy and professional. So I imagine the issue is with more private franchise locations, locations not under the watchful eye of a large corporate such as the army.

[@Ksgamer103]

Every time I see you post I get so excited!

[@mattiwet5526]

They just opened first Popeyes here in Poland like 2 weeks ago, since then there are constant long lines of people waiting to order so I guess, at least for now it is a success.

[@rayray117]

Just tried popeyes as it opened recently in the UK. Wow! It’s a unique taste but also crunchy and nice.

[@Fortebx497]

Really miss their Po Boy Sandwich 😢

[@umark7442]

I'd say this presentation was a classic example of, with an increased focus on qualitative aspects of business, the quantitative skyrockets. You have to give something to get greater returns.

[@Hertz2pp]

They need to bring back that catfish sandwich! 😊

[@ChohatsuSensei]

Aw yeah, I liked the Catfish Po' Boy back in the day :9

[@stantde]

I'm glad he's commented on customer service. It's as though a bad attitude is required to work there.

[@duncanmacleod6274]

Man, it hurts to hear how the Popeyes menu wasn't succeeding with catfish and etouffee because the average American consumer was unfamiliar with them. If I lived near one in this time period, I would have kept the place afloat by myself. Etouffee is one of the greatest things ever to come out of this continent. It's not weird foreign food; Creole is an original American cuisine.

[@majdnadour4210]

It's 100% accurate what you said regarding the global market, here in Russia KFC and burger king put out new products weekly, for example burger king's Siberian burger or KFC's cheesy boxmaster which both were released in the last couple of weeks, in addition the prices are incredible, in burger king you can get a full lunch for 2.5$ that includes: burger, drink, muffin, 3 nuggets, 3 cheese medallions and 3 onion rings, ofc the last 3 are interchangeable, as well as vkusna I tochka which was McDonald's has a "pair for 1$ menu" using which you can get two things for 1$ and they also innovate like the Spanish burger and the mushroom lover's burger

[@zigghiggs]

The Popeyes chicken sandwich that they had in 2016 was even better than the newer version. It was very similar, but was bigger, tasted better, and wasn’t in demand as much 😂 then it went away in like 2017/2018 then came back as the new chicken sandwich in 2019/2020

[@av_oid]

In 2019 did they pay “influencers”?

[@shasha6704]

YAY i am so happy when I see you've uploaded :) have a nice day!

[@jaredlepore9]

You have to look up "Popeyes runs out of Chicken"

[@francoisbertrand7612]

That sequence on CEOs around 6:45 DESERVES it's own video!!!

[@WuntaykTimmy1]

WAKE UP BABE NEW MODERN MBA VIDEO JUSS DROPPED 🦜

[@CH-vm6cq]

Corny

[@WuntaykTimmy1]

@@CH-vm6cq Ya mama 🦜

[@jdesc3222]

@@WuntaykTimmy1you have a momma

[@laz7777]

The last time I went to Popeye's was a year ago. I was the only person in the drive, ordered one meal, waited 15 minutes, and got the wrong meal. The Popeyes had been open for a few months at the time and to this day it is never busy. I'm not really surprised that they only report the earnings for locations only open for 17+ months. For comparison, the Chic-fil-a that's 10 mins away is always packed to the brim.

[@mom5catskyle596]

Popeyes is still not the same as when Al Copeland, the original founder, owned it . Nowadays the only item other than chicken on the menu is popcorn shrimp which tastes like chicken since its fried in the same grease. His family sold it after he died. He was one of New Orleans ' favorite icons, larger than life. Here's to you Al.

[@jbtrimar]

Failing upwards is the Dilbert Principle.

[@innotech]

The sandwich is a difference maker. It is still a once a week treat for me. Incredibly good and the cajun flounder is really great for Lent as well

[@melodramatic7904]

32:08 I am shocked that it hasn't yet been mentioned that Popeyes was just copying Chick-fil-a's chicken sandwich with a Popeye's twist. (I prefer Popeyes, but I gotta be honest.)

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

Chick fil a is one chicken place out of thousands. Far from original in anything but their marketing. It's like saying Tesla is copying Honda by selling cars with four wheels. Obviously every other manufacturer sells four wheel cars, and it's not like they were the first or anything.

[@MenkoDany]

That John Ricitello burn will be heard through ages. You took the poor man and gave him a f*cking (deserved) pounding. Wow.

[@thesearedaydreams6854]

There is a Popeye’s around the corner from me. I had to tack on an extra 10-20 minutes to my commute to account for the traffic issues this damn sandwich caused in 2019 LOL Did get the sandwich twice that fall and did not understand the hype whatsoever. It was good, but not great... which is a pretty accurate description of Popeye’s food in general. Their food is okay on occasion or in a pinch.

[@mercster]

It was "Black Twitter" and social media, it went viral and suddenly all the cool kids wanted a chicken sandwich from Popeye's. The sandwich is good, but not some crazy new revolutionary evolution of the product. This is an unintended success and I find it strange giving all the credit to corporate. I mean, that's how it works, the company had great success and whoever's on top at the time reaps the benefits (no problem with that), but the Internet's role in this success was hyoooooge.

[@mercster]

The meme-ification of things with the advent of digital communications being at everyone's fingertips is the revolution here. In past times, waves of popular things would hit towns, or a big city, then take years (if ever) to trickle out to other communities. Now someone can become a zillionaire overnight if enough "influencers" go on social media and tell all the kids to get one. It's crazy.

[@__aceofspades]

I feel like you missed a big part of this story, and that is Chick-Fil-A. CFA has had INSANE growth and profitability over the years, dominating the fast food sector. You'll never find a CFA that doesnt have a long drive through line at lunch or dinner times. What does CFA do? Fried chicken sandwiches. Popeyes saw the success of CFA and came up with their own. Popeyes was already a brand most people associated with fried chicken, and better quality than KFC, and Popeyes already had locations nationwide. Popeyes sandwich wasnt innovative, it was a 'me too' moment, but they nailed it.

[@VladimirPutin-p3t]

CFA caters to a very specific demographic but is otherwise unremarkable. KFC is, like it or not, the market leader, thus warrants comparison.

[@NobodyInTraining]

3:17 ouch my ears

[@moonmessiah9368]

23:33 Thats actually insane because Ive always felt that Arbys used to have the most underrated buffalo chicken sandwich back then, and then when the popeyes one came out I thought it was eerily similar. Turns out it was just made by the same lady.

[@SuperSox97]

The wildest thing about the chicken sandwich craze to me was that Burger King of all places put out my favorite one. I really liked the Popeyes sandwich, but after a particularly bad experience with the service (even for Popeyes) at my local Popeyes, I refused to go and found an excellent alternative in Burger King. BK has since replaced it with an extremely mediocre set of chicken sandwiches, but it's still weird to me that a chicken sandwich made me frequent Burger King for a while.

[@hershelfowler6257]

Man, how long ago was that ? To me Burger King always had the worst chicken in fast food. Shit got weird aftertaste, even the nuggets got the same taste. The chicken fries not so much, but I think the breading they use is seasoned, so it mask the aftertaste.

[@archkender]

Amazing video. Keep up the awesome quality!

[@Jae_TheFlash]

I remember when the Popeye's chicken sandwich first launched, I went ahead and got one and thought it was delicious but didn't give much thought. A week later there was a craze for it and people were literally crying about not having tasted it before it sold out. Blew my mind lol 🤯

[@SV-kr9fu]

It is the "FOMO - Fear of Missing Out" in the age of social media. As for me, I waited until the craze died down before going to Popeye's and got myself a sandwich. It was good, but not good enough for me to go wait in very long line and/or fighting other customers over it.

[@MatthewSingapore]

great content. but, one point which goes to core of your analysis. 1. about five minutes in you say that `innovation will always triumph over (legacy) brand-appeal.` however, 2. you note that `innovation inevitably is not sustainably` and go on to note that Popeye`s is increasingly focused on cost-cutting with the effect of reducing quality. there is a friction here, right? would love to hear about how you see this friction / tension? in any case, great content.

[@GiantsRTheBest1]

What I don’t get is how does anyone that truly understands how business works and how shareholder satisfaction is never ending has the belief the system can eat itself out of existence. I’m not a communist or anything but when I have read what little Marx I see he is spot on about Capitalism being the snake that eats it’s own tail.

[@mikehoncho101]

I laughed seeing John Riccitiello’s EA departure there when today he’s out of a unity for trying the same monetize everything approach he used at EA .

[@anonymous4chantroll]

Ive been to Popeyes a handful of times only recently and I really want to go back but the service is so ghetto and atrocious that it's just not worth it. If they fixed this I'd be back there once a week at least...

[@anonymous4chantroll]

@Luke5100 The problem is I get there, they've lost my order, they've run out of what I specifically came there for, they've forgotten items that I paid for, or they make me wait 40min for my order when the restaurant is almost completely empty. I've been to PopEyes a total of 8 times, 6 of which I had some combination of those issues. The last time I was there it ended up being most of those issues I listed + the sandwhiches they gave me were fked... There's only so much a person can put up with.

[@Epic_C]

Had the same problem here. They only just started getting them around here a few years ago, but the service it was when it first started here quickly shifted due to identity politics.

[@TheNobleFive]

​@@Epic_CHow did identity politics affect their service?

[@Yusuf-ok5rk]

​@@Epic_C"identity politics" bruh

[@user-wb8iu1hl6i]

@@Epic_C what a coward, just say what you want to say

[@aylmer666]

I used to work for a big corporation (6 years) for their internal video department. It was long enough to see the endless revolving door of executives who would come in, work for 2-3 years, and then move on to some other corporation. I found it so strange that nobody stuck around too long and wondered how these people got selected or where they came from.

[@DazedandInsane]

Ive pretty much stopped eating fast food. Id rather just make it myself for a third the price. Popeyes especially is inconsistent and overpriced.

[@finned958]

What’s so unique about a chicken sandwich? Chik Fil A had it for years. Raising Canes is a rising brand.

[@cwise0603]

Not even 3 minutes in and I already have issues with this video: 1: Wendys is not an “upstart” restaurant chain. They’ve been around 54 years (1969). 2: Popeyes are in “sketchy” locations? Is that the new codeword for “the hood”? Because I sure did see a lot of non-sketchy faces enjoying those chicken sandwiches…

[@Gremlack13]

I had no idea this much about the history of popeye’s. I had not heard much about them and never lived in an area they existed. It was only in the mid 2010’s that I first ever had them. I quite enjoy it. They are definitely not the fastest fast food I’ve ever had. I didn’t quite understand how insane the demand for the spicy chicken sandwich became. It wasn’t the first one out there (Wendy’s is so tasty), which is why I was confused. I finally got to taste it in 2021. Was pretty good, but I felt the bk spicy chicken sandwich that came out around 2021 was surprisingly better. That’s something to cover there, how bk took a fantastic spicy chicken sandwich game and shot on it when they changed the sandwich like 6 months later and it wasn’t good. Haven’t had a bk chicken sandwich since. They took a fantastic product and crapped in their own faces. Had they kept it I would probably still get it regularly since there’s no popeye’s within almost an hour minutes of where I live.

[@quadsnipershot]

"kfc leading brand" sure buddy

[@موسى_7]

leading in market share for sure

[@dmacpher]

@@موسى_7just like subway for number of locations.

[@Darkrezta]

@@dmacpher but marker share and number of location is two completely different things though

[@dmacpher]

@@Darkrezta you can achieve market share through either. It’s a percentage of total dollars in a segment spent that you get. Can do it with 1 store or 1 million.

[@Darkrezta]

@@dmacpher yes of course you can but what I mean market share leader and location number leader is 2 different thing. both connected for sure but it's completely representing 2 different thing. that's the point