Popeyes tests breakfast in single market

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is testing a Louisiana’s Best Breakfast platform at its Mooresville, N.C. unit.

According to a statement from the company, the breakfast menu includes grits, a country-fried steak biscuit, a chicken biscuit, and a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit. Guests can also order breakfast wraps made with chicken, sausage or bacon, and a Blackberry ‘n Cream Cheese Turnover at the location.

The breakfast menu is only available at the single location on Friday and Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the statement said.

Popeyes officials declined to comment on the single-market breakfast test.

Popeyes is one of several quick-service brands currently testing or rolling out new breakfast items, and research shows that breakfast sandwiches in particular are on the rise. According to a new report from foodservice research firm Technomic, breakfast sandwiches have appeared on the top 500 limited-service restaurant menus 8.1-percent more often during the first three months of 2013.

Popeyes competitors in the fried chicken quick-service segment already offer breakfast systemwide. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-a serves breakfast items, including a chicken biscuit, a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, a chicken breakfast burrito and multigrain oatmeal.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Bojangles offers similar breakfast items served all day, including bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits, sausage biscuits, country-fried steak biscuits and cinnamon pecan twists.

Atlanta-based AFC Enterprises operates and franchises more than 2,100 Popeyes units systemwide.

Contact Erin Dostal at [email protected].
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