This Is Why Popeyes Fans Are Losing Their Minds Right Now
You may have heard that Popeyes has been in on the chicken sandwich scene for awhile now — first, they debuted their chicken sandwich offering in August to a ton of hype and fanfare, and almost as quickly, they were completely sold out and told customers it would be a bit before this limited-time offer would be back in restaurants. Two long months came and went with nary a single chicken sandwich sighting from the popular chicken restaurant. In the meantime, the company suggested that customers BYOB — literally, "bring your own bun" — and order three chicken strips and make one themselves. Popeyes even helpfully released a video instructing customers how it could be done.
Since then, there have been hints that the Popeyes sandwich would be coming back here and there, and finally, last week the chicken restaurant announced that it would be coming back for real on Sunday, November 3, throwing a little shade at Chick-fil-A while they were at it, since Popeyes is open on Sundays and CFA, famously, is not.
Everyone was, of course, super thrilled that the sandwich they'd tried (or were unable to snag the first time around) would be back. In even better news, the company noted that this time, the sandwich would not sell out, and that it was actually going to become a permanent fixture on their menus. Problem solved — nobody had to wait any longer for the sandwich to return, and there wasn't a fear that it would disappear again.
The return of the Popeyes chicken sandwich practically broke the Internet
Since the sandwich was making its triumphant return and there would be enough for everyone, there wouldn't be any sort of a problem grabbing a Popeyes sandwich while you're out and about, right? Well, not exactly. When the sandwich made its return yesterday, people basically went bonkers. A quick browse through Twitter revealed some very passionate Popeyes fans getting super irate. Take what happened in Edgewood, Maryland yesterday, where it looks like a customer decided to step behind the counter and make his own sandwich. Perhaps he wasn't cool with how long it was taking to get his sandwich made. In any case, it makes for some pretty wild video.
There was also a similar situation in Harlem, New York where Twitter user @hollyandroo captured an individual who was super angry for perhaps the same reason: "There's like 30 sandwiches here!" he hollers as he peeps around the counter and spotted a pile of sandwiches ready to go. But apparently they weren't for him.
Is that a traffic jam? No, just a line to Popeyes
In addition to the conflicts that popped up inside the restaurants, there was drama outside, too, in the form of massive lines for the drive-thru that, in some cases, went out into the street and wrapped around the block. Twitter user @lsglsg703 caught video of such a phenomenon in Manassas, Virginia, where cars stretched for ages outside Popeyes' parking lot.
Others took to Twitter to comment on the situation, including @ClintSmithIII, who wrote, "Shout out to everyone who ran the New York City marathon and shout out to everyone who stood in line for the return of the Popeyes chicken sandwich both being grueling hours-long tasks that you have waited many months for. We salute you."
@_EastsidePc had some sound advice, writing, "Make sure u have gas in your car before u get in Popeyes drive thru."
@EricaLG sent her husband out to gather one for her, and got the following intel back: "Live report from husband, who is sitting in neighborhood Popeyes drive-thru: 'It looks like Armageddon.'"
Maybe the fervor will die down at Popeyes?
While the news of the re-release of the Popeyes chicken sandwich is very welcome news indeed, it could be a good idea to maybe wait another day or two to go out and get one if you've held out this long — even if your cravings are at an all-time high (although it is understandable if you simply can't wait any longer). Once the dust has settled and the wild Popeyes excitement has wound down a bit, lines should be shorter and the patience of customers should improve.
If you do head out to your nearest Popeyes, keep in mind that your wait may be long because the hype for this fast food chicken sandwich is still very, very real. And keep those hard-working employees in mind, as @theferocity writes, "I hope everyone working at Popeyes gets a raise or a bonus because whew."