Popeyes triumphantly brought back their heralded chicken sandwich on November 3, on National Sandwich Day and a Sunday no less (a day when their homophobic poultry rival — whatever their name is — is closed).
Again, it was genius. But since then, reports indicate that it’s still hard out there for a pimp who wants a chicken sandwich.
Twenty four hours after the relaunch, I drove past a location in Sacramento (the corner of Watt and El Camino Avenues) at 9:38am, 22 minutes before the store opened. Six people stood in line outside, in the chilly fall morning air…to buy a chicken sandwich.
Two of those people wore doo rags on their heads. Hand to God. I’d bet you a half-case of the chain’s spicy sandwiches that at least one of them had an expired drivers license, and that none of them were registered to vote.
Why a half-case, you ask? This writer will be selling the rest of those sandwiches on eBay.
When I drove back past the same location less than an hour later, at 10:29am, the place sported a drive-thru line that wrapped around the restaurant and into the busy street. Inside, the place was packed. I wished the best of luck to anyone who planned to stop in during their lunch hour.
Nationwide, the roll-out has been spotty, at best. Some locations have already reported selling out of the sandwich. And there’s been at least one fatal stabbing.
Over. A. Sandwich.
I’m all for some good bird. My mouth is watering as I’m typing this in fact, realizing that I’ve inadvertently worked through my lunch hour. But the hype around this one is unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time.
And I feel like cutting a switch for the person who stabbed another person to death.
Over. A. Sandwich.
Email me with details of your own Popeyes chicken sandwich journey! I may include your story in a future post.
Michael's Mind's Eye 