Popeye’s Reopening Will Yield ‘Best Location in the State of Wisconsin’
Northwest side location has been closed since it was damaged in a 2023 fire.
Popeye’s. Photo by Sophie Bolich.
A Popeye’s restaurant on Milwaukee’s far Northwest Side is planning to reopen after a 2023 fire.
Mir Ali, the chain’s vice president of operations for the Midwest, confirmed the news during a Sept. 10 meeting with the Common Council’s Licenses Committee.
“That’s going to be probably the best location in the state of Wisconsin,” he said, noting that the company has already invested more than $1 million into rebuilding the 2,196-square-foot restaurant, 7525 W. Good Hope Rd., which was effectively destroyed in a fire in March 2023.
“I’m really looking forward to that location,” he said.
Ali appeared before the committee to renew the license for a different Popeye’s store, but also discussed the overall status of the chain, which operates seven restaurants in Milwaukee.
Amin Dhanani of Dhanani Group Inc. is the licensee for all of Milwaukee’s Popeyes restaurants. Dhanani Group, a Popeyes franchise owner since 2011, is listed as the world’s largest QSR franchisee for Popeyes, owning more than 150 restaurants in the U.S.
Ali said Popeye’s is working to grow in the local market, and has recently made “significant progress” in customer and speed metrics, while also working to improve cleanliness in stores and minimize on-premises loitering.
“We’re really enforcing our policies to offer our customers the type of service that they deserve,” he said. “I think we’re on a good trend here and I’m confident, going forward, we’re going to continue to improve.
Several permits have been issued for the Good Hope Road address since January, including those for menu boards and electrical work. Construction documents note plans to gut the existing, fire-damaged building and complete a new interior buildout.
A reopening date for the restaurant has not yet been announced.
Popeye’s, originally called Chicken on the Run, was founded in 1972 by Al Copeland in Arabi, Louisiana. The company, which operates more than 3,400 locations worldwide, is best known for its crispy, New Orleans-style fried chicken sandwich.
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