Hunger and excitement mounted in equal measure as a fast-rising US fried-chicken chain opened its first restaurant in the North East today.
Excited first-foots queued for hours at the Metrocentre in Gateshead to be among the first in the region to sample Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s distinctive Deep South tastes.
Some arrived as early as 2am to get near the front of the queue in the centre’s lower Yellow Mall, while others brought camping chairs to relax while they waited for the 11am opening.
An eight-piece band serenaded those in the mounting queue ahead of business at the fast food chain’s fourth and biggest UK restaurant.
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When the clocked ticked onto 11am there were cheers after a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Among the first 50 restaurant-goers to receive a Popeyes’ branded goodie-bag and free chicken sandwich was Mitch, a customer service worker who joined the queue at 6.45am today.
He told The Northern Echo: “I’ve never tried Louisiana-style food before but I was up at 4am and thought I’d come down.”
The Louisiana brand, launched in New Orleans in 1972, only reached the UK with the opening of a restaurant in Stratford, east London, last November.
It has already become the busiest Popeyes in the world, with delivery kitchens now operating elsewhere in London, while the Metrocentre branch is among six further restaurants to be opened in the rest of the country in the next stage of the roll-out.
Chief operating officer, Newcastle-born Neil Williamson, said: “Counting the numbers in the queue, we’ve had a bigger queue than we did for the opening of the first store in Stratford.
“My nervousness about no-one coming down is over but now it’s about making sure we serve everyone who comes down.
“For people to get out of bed early to come and see us is amazing and ‘thank you’ to the people of the North East getting behind us.”
Read more: Popeyes Metrocentre: What to expect and full menu
Customers can expect the brand’s signature chicken sandwich and American classic biscuits and gravy on the menu.
Popeyes is open from 10.30am daily, except Sunday, when it starts frying at 11am.
Closing time is 9pm on Monday to Friday, 7pm on a Saturday and 5pm on Sunday.
Read next:
See inside Popeyes' Metrocentre Restaurant opening in Yellow Mall
Popeye's to open in Gateshead Metrocentre - here's all we know
Popeyes Metrocentre opening date revealed as later this month
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