Founder of Popeye's Famous Fried Chicken dies . . .

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Wokamuka

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I don't know about dem Church's but me and my family, we goes to Popeye's.

Al Copeland, flamboyant Popeyes founder, dies at 64 - USATODAY.com
By Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS — Al Copeland, who became rich selling spicy fried chicken and became notorious for his flamboyant lifestyle, died Sunday at a clinic near Munich, Germany. He was 64.

The founder of the Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken chain had been diagnosed shortly before Thanksgiving with a malignant salivary gland tumor. His death was announced by his spokeswoman, Kit Wohl.

Copeland grew up in New Orleans and sold his car at age 18 for enough money to open a one-man doughnut shop. He spent 10 modestly successful years in the doughnut business.

Then the opening of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in New Orleans in 1966 caught Copeland's eye. Inspired by KFC's success, Copeland in 1971 used his doughnut profits to open a restaurant, Chicken on the Run. Slogan: "So fast you get your chicken before you get your change."

After six months, Chicken on the Run was still losing money.So Copeland chose a spicier, Cajun-style recipe and reopened the restaurant under the name Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken, after Popeye Doyle, Gene Hackman's character in the film "The French Connection." The chain that grew from that one restaurant became Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken.
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In its third week of operation, Copeland's revived chicken restaurant broke the profit barrier.

Franchising began in 1976, growing the chain to more than 800 stores in the United States and several foreign countries by 1989.

In 1983, he founded Copeland's of New Orleans, a causal-dining, Cajun-style restaurant. In the next two decades the chain expanded as far as Maryland and west into Texas. He also started Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, Fire and Ice restaurants, and Al's Diversified Food & Seasonings — a line of specialty foods and spices for large national restaurant chains.

In March 1989, Popeyes — then the third-largest chicken chain — purchased Church's Chicken, the second largest behind KFC. The two chains, operated separately, gave Copeland more than 2,000 locations.

The Church's purchase was heavily financed, however, and escalating debt forced Copeland's company to file for bankruptcy in 1991. Although Copeland lost both Church's and Popeyes in the bankruptcy, he retained the rights to some Popeyes products, which he manufactured through his Diversified Foods & Seasonings plants, along with a few Popeyes stores.

Copeland frequently made headlines away from his business empire.

His hobbies included racing 50-foot powerboats, touring New Orleans in Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis, and outfitting his Lake Pontchartrain home with lavish Christmas decorations, including half a million lights and a three-story-tall snowman. The display drew a lawsuit in 1983 from neighbors who said the resulting traffic held them hostage in their own homes.

Copeland and his third wife, Luan Hunter, were married at the New Orleans Museum of Art on Valentine's Day 1991. As they left the ceremony, rose petals were tossed from a helicopter and fireworks exploded over the building.

The original presiding judge at their divorce, Ronald Bodenheimer, pleaded guilty to promising a custody deal favorable to Copeland in return for a possible seafood contract and other benefits. Two Copeland associates and Bodenheimer went to federal prison for participating in the conspiracy.

Copeland was never personally accused of participating in the scheme.

Copeland's survivors include five sons, four daughters, a brother and 13 grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were pending.
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I love Popeye's.The last time I went to Popeye's was about 20 years ago in downtown Baltimore.
 
Banjo said:
You must really love it enough to not go to any for the last 20 years.
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West Virginia don't have Popeye's. (this is a sorry ass state when it comes to having anything) But when I lived in Maryland, my husband and I use to go there all the time.
 
my parents loves popeyes chicken but i do eat popeyes chicken sometimes but i told my mom please eat least chicken dues fried! but i cant eat too much of fried chicken.

I dont eat KFC and churchs chicken because more too much fry for me and also unhealthy for me i know popeyes also!
 
Pepsi Lover said:
West Virginia don't have Popeye's. (this is a sorry ass state when it comes to having anything) But when I lived in Maryland, my husband and I use to go there all the time.
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Then move back to Maryland and get Popeye's again, I wasn't too impressed with the food, I haven't ate at Popeye's in a year, Ketchucky Fried Chicken has better chicken and has the best mash poatoes
 
I like Popeye's because their chicken and biscuits taste better than KFC. KFC is too greasy, but unfortunately Popeye's is about 30 mins drive from here while KFC is about 5 mins from me. So once a great while I get small stuffs from KFC for individual meal. Once in great while I get family meal from Popeye's.

Because of the fuel prices, I'm cutting down on routine trips ie stores, fast foods, etc only going to work and back and trying to stop by either of of these on the way or back to conserve fuel and money.
 
We dont have that here so i dunno what it taste like.. hmm..
 
I don't like Popeye's...I don't like the way it taste! I like KFC but their prices shot up, forget it. So once a while would be ok.

RIP Al Copeland.
 
I have had popeye's before and I think it's good but not too crazy about fried stuff.

by the way RIP copeland.
 
Seriously, I am so so so tired of seeing KFC around here. It practically exists everywhere in this state! :lol: KFC used to have great chickens and their mashed potatoes were good but lately over through the years, it's taste has declined. Even though it's here, I haven't been to one for a long while. However, KFC has a rich history and it's headquarters is in Louisville, KY. It also contains Colonel Sander's Museum.

I've found that Popeye's chickens are better because it is cooked to a crisp. There was a popeye's chicken restaurant here but it closed down few years ago.

Has anyone heard of Bojangles as well? Bojangles is another fast food restaurants that serves chickens. It is delicious and I haven't been to one for years.
 
Calvin said:
I like Popeye's because their chicken and biscuits taste better than KFC. KFC is too greasy, but unfortunately Popeye's is about 30 mins drive from here while KFC is about 5 mins from me. So once a great while I get small stuffs from KFC for individual meal. Once in great while I get family meal from Popeye's.

Because of the fuel prices, I'm cutting down on routine trips ie stores, fast foods, etc only going to work and back and trying to stop by either of of these on the way or back to conserve fuel and money.
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Nothing beats Golden Chick. ;)
 
I went to the Popeyes in Troy sometimes with my mom and uncle because my uncle liked the chicken. My mom went to university in New Orleans where Copeland was from.
 
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