Popeyes coming to Adams Morgan!!!

by Prince Of Petworth October 5, 2016 at 9:50 am 44 Comments

popeyes

Thanks to Josh for sending. Back in late August we learned that Pollo Granjero had closed on Columbia Road. Fast Food, not fast casual, proper fast food is controversial to some but I know many many people will be happy about this. To them I say – I feel ya!! To the others I say – Johnny’s Half Shell is opening soon!! Now we can all be happy and I didn’t even mention the spots from Erik Bruner-Yang and Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike Gjerde…

pollo
1742 Columbia Road, NW

Irving Streete

YAAAAAAAAY!!!!
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Also great to hear about the other imminent arrivals. I was mentally marking off the vacant storefronts on 18th street and Columbia Road as I wandered through the other day and it’s pretty depressing. I hoe this recognition on the part of landlords that the nightlife spotlight has left Adams-Morgan behind, and reasonable rents to grown-up restaurants are now the order of the day. Not that I mind a little rowdiness and a few bars to serve them, but a little more balance would be appreciated.
- INWDC
  
  Completely agree…and great to hear about a new spot from the Woodbury Kitchen folks and one from Erik Bruner! Although, truth be told, I am not excited by Popeyes – not because of its unhealthy but delicious chicken, but due to the smells ff spots like this emit (same with McDonalds et al.) – it’s just a rancid grease smell, almost akin to a gas station.
  - justinbc
    
    You can easily smell the H Street Popeye’s from a block or more away.
- saf
  
  Do you remember the Church’s Fried Chicken in MtP, and the SMELL it generated?
anon

I’m not a fast food guy, but I admit that Popeye’s spicy chicken is one of my vices. I always feel like crap after eating it, but I’ll be damned if those first few bites aren’t narcotic-like.
OP Anon

“Army of Discarded Chicken Bones Coming to Adams Morgan”
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Pls fix the headline, Dan. Thx.
- Count Pheasant
  
  At least it was already a chicken place before.
  - Anonymous
    
    The previous place was more of a sitdown spot, it didn’t lend itself to eating chicken on the sidewalk. I don’t think they served fried chicken. This Popeyes will create a ton of garbage for the neighborhood.
- anony
  
  Yep, gotta be extra vigilant when walking my dog. Ughhh.
- Tsar of Truxton
  
  The chicken bones I see are typically wings, which are an easy to eat on the go type of food (I guess). I don’t think Popeyes has wings, so maybe not as big a problem as you might expect. Then again, if people start throwing chicken breast bones around, it might be a bigger problem.
  - NH Ave Hiker
    
    I normally see whole take out bags of Popeye’s lying on the ground. Just did this morning actually.
    - stacksp
      
      I actually saw a guy eating and flinging chicken wings yesterday while stopped at the light outside of the barbershop next to Po Boy Jims on H st.
      
      I thought to myself, this must be what they mean on Popville lol
  - honest
    
    When I go to popeyes I only buy their wings. They sell wings.
Emmaleigh504

Yay! I’ve missed Popeye’s.
palisades

Your link to Erik Bruner-Yang’s restaurants doesn’t work.
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  fixed it thanks!
Dan Chan

There used to be a Popeye’s next to Pho 14 on Columbia Road some years ago. Glad they are coming back.
- JS
  
  My favorite piece of DC graffiti was the reoccurring “Donde esta Popeyes?” that kept getting spray painted on buildings along that stretch after the original location closed. I hope somewhere that vandal is smiling.
  - textdoc
    
    How odd. I lived in the area while the Popeye’s was still in operation and after it closed, and I never saw any “Donde esta Popeye’s?” graffiti.
anony

Ugh. Bummed. Was hoping for something non fast food, something with some nice ambience, etc. Alas.
Kingman Park

I love Popeye’s but what would it take to get a Royal Farms in the city? Their fried chicken is by far the best I’ve ever had. There used to be one in College Park but it’s now a 7-11.
Dirtygunz8

Like a crispy golden brown chicken rising through the grease. Popeyes returns.
- Kingman Park
  
  Comment of the day
Anonymous

I have a feeling that this turned into a Popeyes rather than a more expensive to set up restaurant because the property owners don’t intend on this building being around very long. The trend for Columbia Road is to increase density. I would be surprised if someone wasn’t trying to buy up several buildings next to this place in order to consolidate parcels, especially considering that this was just done a block further up the road.
- Anonymous
  
  A build out for a Popeyes will probably cost the franchise owner at least $150-200K. No one sinks that kind of investment into a storefront for only a short-term (i.e., less than 5 years) lease. This is actually a pretty big space, so I expect the build out to be on the pricier side.
  - Anonymous
    
    FranchiseChatter has the cost of a conversion from $697,757 to $1,142,716, excluding real estate. If this is a franchise and not company-owned then it’s possible that it will have annual sales of over $1.2 million (from the 2013 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen FDD), though a city location probably would put it at $1.5 million or more. This makes paying off start up costs a lot easier.
textdoc

This is disappointing; it’s a step backward for the neighborhood.
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There used to be a Popeye’s on the 1700 block of Columbia Road — if I remember correctly, where the 7-Eleven is now.
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There was also a KFC — IIRC, near or next to the current Burger King location. I used to tell people I lived in the Fried Chicken Convergence Zone.
- The King Ad-Hoc
  
  Sigh. So predictable.
  - The King Ad-Hoc
    
    To clarify: Anti-Popeyes comments so predictable.
    - textdoc
      
      Hah, I was wondering about that. It didn’t seem to me as though it would be predictable from me personally. :)
      .
      I don’t actually have a problem with fast-food joints per se (or at least not as much of a problem as much of PoPville seems to have with them). It’s just that historically, the ones in Adams Morgan have been kind of dingy, had poor service, etc.
- anon
  
  Yes, one singular Popeye’s restaurant overshadows all of the other great new restaurants in the area.
  - textdoc
    
    It doesn’t overshadow all of the other great new restaurants.
    .
    But most of them are on the 1800 block of Columbia. The 1800 block has been a lot nicer than the 1700 block for a long time; the 1700 block could have really used a decent fast-casual place or actual restaurant.
    .
    It’s also unfortunate that the shwarma/doner place closed.
JayDC

ugggh. Can’t we get something local? Something nice? Adams Morgan just can’t attract decent establishments.
- AMDCer
  
  Really? Mintwood Place, Jack Rose, Johnny’s Seafood, Tail Up Goat, new hotel, new condos… Nope, can’t attract decent establishments…
  - justinbc
    
    +1, if only there were a website constantly telling you about new places opening…
  - anon
    
    You’re forgetting that some cranky folks are vehemently opposed to new condos or apartments and the street level retail that would come with it…
- Anonymous
  
  Consider this a placeholder until buildings on the block are bought and consolidated into a much larger building.
- victoria
  
  We have 100 local and nice places. Plus new residents who enjoy cooking. I’m cooking a wonderful dinner party for 8 this weekend. I also enjoy eating often at local restaurants. But damn – sometimes you just need good fried chicken!!.
Don Edgar

Finally–a place I can run to from my apt and grab something that tastes good in a matter of minutes, and without spending $20 damn bucks or more. And no tip. Why does everything have to be expensive and “luxury????”
- textdoc
  
  “Why does everything have to be expensive and “luxury????”” It seems like all too often, that’s the direction things have gone in as far as gentrification in D.C., so I understand your frustration.
  .
  But IMO, fast food vs. super-expensive sit-down restaurants is a false binary. I would’ve loved to see a fast-casual place here, like Panera.
  - Anonynon
    
    theres one in columbia heights and its one of the less pleasant places i have visited in DC.
- dcd
  
  Absolutely. I’m as big of a food snob as anyone, and I freakin’ LOVE Popeyes.
  - Ellen
    
    Proud to NOT be a food snob…just someone who likes good food and I LOVE Popeyes chicken (and biscuits). Definitely not an everyday thing for me but sometimes it totally hits the spot so am happy to have it back in the neighborhood. IMHO, it’s insane to think that every new restaurant has to be some fancy pants eatery…although I’m definitely thrilled that some interesting new places are establishing themselves here (Osteria al Volo, Tail Up Goat, Hank’s, Roofer’s (ok…RU isn’t so new). An aside: I kind of wish we had a Teaism here; I think it’d do well…the food is good, it’s reasonably healthy, the prices are right, they’d do well with takeout, and…salty oat cookies.
  - Anonynon
    
    i can see myself getting some family chicken buckets and watching football on sunday, nice addition to AdMo (even though there is one down in logan)

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