In the Know: Popeyes breaks ground on Naples-area restaurant

Q: I noticed some land clearing on Collier Boulevard just north of Golden Gate Parkway. Could it possibly be Popeyes? Please, God, let it be Popeyes.

— E. Dunham, Naples

Q: I am trying to get an update on Popeyes Chicken. You did an article back in April about them possibly opening in Bonita Springs that they were looking to get zoning approved. I cannot find any information if they got approval and are planning on opening in Bonita Springs.
— Douglas O'Connor, Bonita Springs

A: Your Popeyes prayers have been answered in the Naples area, but the Bonita Springs location for the fried chicken chain still faces a few hurdles.

Groundwork began in late September for a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on a 1.45-acre lot on the eastern edge of Golden Gate. The 2,537-square-foot fast-food restaurant will have 66 seats and drive-thru service.

The new restaurant at 11899 Collier Blvd. is south of Collier Plaza with Marco's Pizza and north of the Naples Fruits & Vegetables market and Naples Finest Barber Shop. Pop Florida Properties purchased the vacant commercial property in January 2014 with plans to site a Popeyes there. Expect that new Popeyes to open early next year.

“Our project managers are estimating an early first-quarter opening for 2019,” said Ryan Phelps, director of real estate at Orange Capital Investments, an affiliate of Sun Holdings Inc., a Dallas-based company that owns and operates hundreds of restaurant franchises, including more than 100 Popeyes locations.

The company’s Popeyes locations in this state are licensed to Florida Pop LLC, which already operates two Popeyes franchises in Fort Myers and two in Cape Coral. Additional area locations are planned, Phelps said.

“I cannot divulge where else we are looking for locations but can tell you that we are actively seeking new opportunities throughout Florida,” he said. “We own and operate several locations throughout Southwest Florida but share this territory with other franchisees.”

Another franchisee, Action Business Corp., has proposed a Popeyes in Bonita Springs on the western side of U.S. 41 south of Bonita Beach Road. The Belle Glade-based company also operates Popeyes franchises in Immokalee and Lehigh Acres, but the Bonita location would be the first Popeyes in south Lee County.

“They do have several applications in for a building on U.S. 41, Tamiami Trail, and they have to go through a couple of public hearings, though, to get things approved and really ultimately it ends up being a council decision on whether or not this goes through,” said Mike Fiigon, a city planner for Bonita Springs.

In 1986, the Bonita building at 28186 U.S. 41 S. was built for Burger King, which operated a drive-thru there for 20 years. Citibank then had a branch there for a brief time, but the building has been vacant for many years.

Even though the location previously was a fast-food restaurant, this use is not grandfathered. The Popeyes franchisee faces public hearings to obtain a special exception to locate a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru in the city’s U.S. 41 overlay corridor.

“The city has an overlay for U.S. 41. Essentially what that means is property abutting 41 has additional standards than other properties,” Fiigon said.

Also, because city officials don’t want any particular use to dominate the corridor, the proposed Popeyes’ proximity to other fast-food restaurants — Wendy’s next door, KFC nearby, and McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts across the street — makes it difficult to site another one in this special commercial zoning district.

To obtain a mix of uses and desirable aesthetics, Bonita requires certain similar uses such as fast-food restaurants to have a spatial separation of 500 feet. Wendy’s is across Beaumont Road about 200 feet from the proposed Popeyes.

On July 31, the Popeyes franchisee applied for a variance to obtain a special exception to rezone the property on U.S. 41 to be able to redevelop the building on it for use as a fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru window. Before the end of the year, Popeyes faces three public hearings in city hall regarding special exception approval, Fiigon said.

“The first one will be in front of the zoning board and that will take place on Nov. 20 at 9 a.m.,” he said.

Subsequent hearings are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 9 a.m. Dec. 19, when the final vote will be taken by City Council.

“That’s where we’re at,” Fiigon said. “They need to go through their hearing stage and we’ll see what happens.”

If the location is approved, the Popeyes franchisee still will have to apply for permits with the city’s Community Development Department.

Popeyes, which has more than 2,600 restaurants worldwide, was founded in a suburb of New Orleans in 1972. The chain’s name has morphed many times over the years, but Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits was rebranded Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in 2008, according to its website, Popeyes.com.

In addition to Southern-style chicken dishes, Popeyes' menu features a Cajun influence with entrees such as jambalaya and seafood po’boys. Signature sides include red beans and rice, Cajun fries and Cajun gravy, while sauces have spicy options such as Bayou Buffalo, Blackened Ranch and Mardi Gras Mustard, a traditional Creole dipping sauce.

Know more

Housing development breaks ground near Mediterra on Livingston Road in North Naples

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