Restaurant company looking to bring Popeyes to the West Plains

Spokane residents may soon be able to fulfill their cravings for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

Ambrosia QSR, a Vancouver-based quick-service restaurant operating company, is looking to bring Popeyes to the West Plains.

Spokane-based Bernardo|Wills Architects submitted a pre-development application with the city on Wednesday on behalf of Ambrosia QSR for the 2,500-square-foot Popeyes restaurant with a drive-thru at 9558 W. U.S. Highway 2.

Ambrosia QSR is a franchisee of more than 150 Burger King and Popeyes restaurants in Oregon and Washington.

Company officials did not respond to a request for comment on their plans.

However, the Popeyes name and branding is displayed on a site plan for the project.

Toronto, Canada-based Restaurant Brands International Inc., the parent company of Popeyes, also did not respond to a request for comment.

A pre-development application does not necessarily indicate the project will occur, but rather the applicant is seeking input from the city on whether development plans are feasible for the site.

Entrepreneur Al Copeland founded Popeyes in New Orleans in 1972. The restaurant chain, which has become popular for its flavorful spicy chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and fried shrimp, has since grown to more than 3,600 restaurants worldwide.

The closest Popeyes to Spokane is in Post Falls.

Ambrosia QSR isn’t the first restaurant operator that proposed plans for a Popeyes in Spokane.

In 2016, Concord, California-based Norcal Cajun Foods II Inc. submitted a permit application with the city to build a Popeyes restaurant at 6710 N. Division St.

The permit application expired in 2018 and Maverik subsequently built a gas station on the site.

Restaurant Brands International recently announced it plans to open more than 200 Popeyes locations in the U.S. and Canada this year.

More than half of those restaurants will have double drive-thru lanes to provide faster service, CNN Business reported.