Australia a ‘significant potential market’ for Popeyes: RBI exec

RBI exec reveals that they are launching in Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Italy.

After news of Popeyes opening in New Zealand this April was reported, news outlets are bringing up a report by the Financial Review in 2021 about the brand’s parent Restaurant Brands International (RBI), sending out representatives to talk to Australian businesses and private equity to back its entry in the market.

Rafael Odorizzi, President of Restaurant Brands International Asia-Pacific region said Australia represents a ‘significant potential market for the brand.’

“Popeyes is continuing to expand worldwide, with the aim to become the most loved chicken brand in the world. Currently, Popeyes is present in nearly 40 countries, with recent openings in Czech Republic and Poland and recent upcoming launches including New Zealand, Taiwan, Kazakhstan and Italy. We are looking forward to bringing our iconic Louisiana chicken to more guests around the world and Australia represents a significant potential market for the brand,” Odorizz told QSR Media.

In Australia, Popeyes will have several chicken brands to contend with from KFC, Oporto, Red Rooster, El Jannah, and more. Marrybrown, a fast-food chain from Malaysia also opened last year.

When asked how Popeyes plan to compete in Australia, Odorizz hinted that they already have a strategy in place for the possible market entry.

“At Restaurant Brands International, across all brands, we’ve demonstrated our ability to work with well-established local partners, that have operational expertise, local knowledge and are well capitalized to fund growth. And we trust this is a key contributor to our development journey, coupled with the business transformation we’ve experienced over the past few years.”

“We are very proud of Popeyes strong culinary heritage, coming from New Orleans, Louisiana. All the ingredients are carefully sourced, the chicken is marinated for at least 12 hours, battered and breaded by hand, then slow cooked to perfection. The Popeyes chicken recipe is based on a 300-year-old culinary tradition, which incorporates a fusion of cooking styles, a rich blend of proprietary seasonings. And one of the secrets of Popeyes’ international success is the integration of our culinary traditions with local cultures. In every market, we aim to strike a balance between our core flagship offerings and the local taste profile of our guests,” Odorizz said.

Just recently, RBI has revealed a massive growth agenda for the next five years, with the company expecting to open at least 7,000 new restaurants in the international market.

RBI Chief Executive Officer, Josh Kobza said in a press release they expect a minimum of 40,000 restaurants, US$60b in system-wide sales and US$3.2b in Adjusted Operating Income by 2028 by delivering average annual results over the next five years of 3% plus comparable sales, 5% plus net restaurant growth and 8% plus system-wide sales growth translating to at least 8% Adjusted Operating Income growth.

RBI is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with more than US$40b in annual system-wide sales and over 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands namely, Tim Hortons, Burger King (operating as Hungry Jack’s in Australia), Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs.