Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Popeye’s, built in New Haven in 1987, is a commercial food chain known for its spicy New Orleans style chicken. The two-story building is architecturally designed to embody the French Quarter with features like a street-facing facade, cast-iron balcony, and decorative shutters. Located in the Whalley-Dixwell neighborhood, Popeye’s is easily accessible for New Haven residents as well as Yale University students. The chain manages to appeal to both diverse groups due to proximity, affordable prices, delicious food, and a community atmosphere created by the interior organization and red-orange color scheme.

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Although the building containing Popeye’s was itself built in 1987 for the purpose of being a Popeye’s, the lot was used for different things over time. (Note: Because of the creation of spot 35 and spot 35c, it is difficult to distinguish between the two on the older maps):

1886-1953:Residential space (In the New Haven Directories, names were listed)

1953: Auto Collision Repair

1967: Acme Auto Body Inc

1971: Vacant

1973: Gino’s Restaurant Inc

1976: Part of the lot converted into a parking lot. Gino’s remains

1982: Parking lot. Gino’s building gone.

1987: Popeyes famous fried chicken and biscuits

Looking at the 1886 Sanborn Map, it becomes clear that Whalley Ave was always one of the main avenues starting at the other end of the city as Grand ave, then Elm st, then Whalley Ave. Whalley Ave itself extends outwards from the initial 9-square plan for New Haven, which alludes to the shared use of the road by both city center and outward residential area people.

The tip of the widening strip between Goffe and Whalley has been occupied by several corporations, but also residential homes over time. In 1886, the top part where Popeye’s now sits was occupied by a cluster of buildings. The 1911 Atlas shows the evolution of this space with the current Popeye’s being occupied by the homes of H.E. Todd and F. Thompson. The space was used as a residential home until 1953 when a building in the space behind lot 35, 35c, was created to house Auto Collision Repair (New Haven Directory) . In 1967, the business was replaced by ACME Auto Body Inc and in 1972, the lot was transformed into Gino’s Inc and Gino’s Restaurant (New Haven Directory) . By 1982 the buildings were scrapped and the space turned into a parking lot (New Haven Directory). It is in this empty space that Popeyes was built in 1987. As the area surrounding Whalley Ave and Goffe St developed into populated suburbs, the widening strip became more important to daily life and corporations were replaced by everyday stores like Walgreens and Stop & Shop.

Popeye’s, being a commercial chain, puts a lot of thought and consideration into each building location, weighing the costs and benefits to determine overall chance of success. Popeye’s was built in New Haven in 1987 with the intention of continuing to spread Louisiana culture and cuisine, but also to appeal to the residents of New Haven. Before franchising, the chain considers “competition, economic and demographic data, and geography” (Franchising FAQ ). The 1976 Sanborn map shows that the area that would become Popeye’s was a parking lot, the space that would become the gas station was vacant, and the majority of the strip was occupied by corporations like Continental Baking Co, Auto Sales and Service, and Auto Body Repair, or residential dwellings. The buildings on the other side of Whalley Ave also contained corporations and residential homes as well as the Holiday Inn Motel. In contrast, the street today is more populated with restaurants such as El Amigo Felix, Basil, and Sushi Mizu.

To understand the change that happened, it is necessary to consider New Haven as a whole. While the current estimated median household income in 2016 was $40,457, it was $29,604 in 2000, and presumably even lower in the 1980s (New Haven, Connecticut). I believe the economic difference between Yale University and the surrounding city prompted the gradual bettering of New Haven. For example, on the corner of York St and Broadway, what used to be a Au Bon Pain is now a Patagonia store. The replacement of cheaper stores with more elite ones overtime has pushed New Haven residents farther away from the University. It is for this reason that the existence of affordable chains is so important. I think Popeye’s chose New Haven as a location because of the low-income residents and the proximity to Yale University. They also chose a spot away from the other chains on Chapel St. and farther up Whalley Ave because there is no immediate competition in the area, and they’re closer to the residential areas for people who want to travel walking distance. 

Currently, Popeye’s is owned by Keith and Julia Solomon. Being operated by individuals instead of a corporation has given the New Haven location a more community-oriented and inviting vibe (New Haven). For example, in 2014, the Solomon’s arranged for 550 free turkey meals to be served to the community on Thanksgiving (New Haven). Having no children of their own, the Solomon’s consider their employees and customers to be family (New Haven). In turn, the community considers Popeyes like home. According to regular customer Lotheria Nelson, her three-year old granddaughter calls out, “Popeyes!” every time they pass the restaurant (New Haven).

Popeye’s is located on the strip between Whalley Ave and Goffe St, which both begin in a cluster of streets, including Broadway, Dixwell Ave, and Tower Pkwy, that start together and radiate outwards towards their respective residential areas. Whalley Ave is a significant location for providing business in that it is a major commercial strip extending back to include places like Stop & Shop, CVS, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Walgreens. The strip is surrounded by residential neighborhoods on one side (Dwight, Edgewood, Beaver Hills, Dixwell) and Yale University on the other, making the restaurant a nearby option for anyone looking for a quick, affordable meal of spicy New Orleans style chicken. Due to the plethora of commercial stores on Whalley Ave coupled with the low-income residential areas and college university surrounding it, it makes sense that the busy road would be chosen as a spot for Popeye’s. Considering the city as a whole, Whalley Ave is a prominent commercial avenue that breaks the typical grid-like pattern of residential areas and the streets surrounding the college campus. Noting that the location of Popeye’s is on a commercial strip rather than off of highway 91 or 95, it becomes clear that the restaurant was primarily meant for New Haven residents. 

Taking a closer look, Popeye’s is located behind a gas station, across the street from a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, behind the Zeta frat house, and next to an abandoned UPS building. The gas station takes up the first chunk of space on the triangular strip between Whalley Ave and Goffe St. Behind that is the frat house Zeta, which is known as one of the football frats. To the left and across Goffe St there is Dixwell Lot, which provides parking spaces in addition to the fourteen or so located to the right side in Popeye’s own lot. The proximity of the Marriott Hotel and gas station points travellers in the direction of Popeye’s, which offers quick food perfect for a road trip or a sit down lunch with the family before heading home. Next to the Zeta frat house, but also about 100 yards from frat row, Popeye’s has become a late-night snack destination for Yale students, and occasionally Quinnipiac students who travel to Yale for the night. The abandoned UPS store behind Popeye’s goes mostly unnoticed by customers who approach the front entrance from Whalley Ave.

Approaching Popeye’s from a distance, the eye is immediately drawn to the unusually warm signature colors of red, orange, and white. On the front facing Whalley Ave, “Popeye’s” is written in white bubble letters with “Louisiana Kitchen” written underneath in white letters on a red background. The same logo is written on the left side to increase the chances of cars coming from the left seeing the restaurant with enough time to stop. Both signs are placed on the expanse of brownish orange wall that covers most of the building and is bordered with red on top as part of the flat roof. Underneath each logo is a red overhang divided into rectangles that look almost like shingles. Above each logo are a set of green gooseneck lights that match the green decorative shutters located on the pushed back wings of the street-facing facade. Underneath the red overhang on both the front and left side are wall-length windows that continue until the last three feet to the ground. Below the windows, the wall continues in a dark brown color bordered with red on top. Looking from the front, the entry double doors are to the left and right sides, not directly facing the street. The main entrance is to the left facing the parking lot. The right side of the building, contrary to the left, continues the expanse of brownish orange wall relatively low to the ground and without extra decoration. 

Entering from Goffe St, a two-story square box in the same colors as the main building comes into view: the drive thru. The same brown bottom with a red border transitions into the brown-orange expanse of wall that contains the drive thru slide window. On the car-facing front, a green iron balcony overhangs the window and is embellished with two decorative green shutters that match the ones on the front of the main building. The right side of the building has the same red overhang with the same green gooseneck lights above. There’s also a sign that says “Drive-Thru Open” stationed between the lights. Under the red overhang to the right side is a brown door for staff use only. The path the cars should take through the drive thru lot is outlined in yellow lines with yellow arrows indicating the direction of traffic. In the main parking lot, there is a tall sign angled towards the traffic moving the opposite direction on the other side of the street so that the building is advertising from every possible entry angle.

The interior of Popeye’s architectural design is in line with the brand’s goals of “authenticity, originality, fun, food-orientation” (Interior Design). There is a horizontal orientation with the ordering counter being at the back and the tables and booths being to either side. In entering, the customers are guided to the front through a path leading to the counter. The high ceilings and tables pushed back against the walls create a sense of space and freedom of movement. To the right, tables with free-standing chairs are lined up against the large windows, creating a sense of unity with the external environment and releasing feelings of enclosure or crowdedness. To the left, there are several booths also pushed against the window that offer more comfortable and private eating space. The floors are tiled and the chairs, tables, and booths are made of wood with accents of red rail or cushion to match the brand’s colors.

Popeye’s is primarily influenced by the architectural design of the French Quarter, which includes a harmonious mix of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, French Colonial, and Spanish Colonial (Marc Lortie). The cast iron balcony and colorful hues are both borrowed from the mixture of French, Spanish, Creole, and American architecture that defines New Orleans even today (French Quarter Architecture). Breaking away from historical styles, Art Nouveau focuses on organic and geometric forms with an emphasis on linear contours, which can be seen in the long, linearity of the walls and sides of Popeye’s (Art Nouveau Movement). Art Nouveau paved the way for Art Deco in the 1920s. This new popular style, similar to Art Nouveau, attempted to “infuse functional objects with artistic touches” as part of a “pursuit of beauty in all aspects of life” (Art Deco Movement). One of the goals was to improve the appearance of mass-produced buildings as would become Popeye’s. The French Colonial style became popular in Louisiana with French Colonization, and Popeye’s borrowed key elements such as the green shutters (French Quarter). The influence of Spanish Colonial is also present as seen with the flat roof, colorful walls and roofs, and ironwork balconies (French Quarter). Historically, most of the Quarter’s French colonial style was destroyed in the Great New Orleans Fire, leaving the Spanish to rebuild (French Quarter).

“Art Nouveau Movement, Artists and Major Works.” The Art Story.

"Franchising FAQ | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen." Popeyes Franchising International | Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. Accessed February 25, 2018.

“French Quarter Architecture.” Buildings and Architecture of New Orleans French Quarter.

“French Quarter.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Mar. 2018,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Quarter.

“Interior Design.” Lord Aeck Sargent.

Marc Lortie. "Popeyes latest restaurant re-image effort embraces the brand's New Orleans heritage." Architecture Branding. February 15, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2018.

“New Haven, Connecticut.” New Haven, Connecticut (CT) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, Sex Offenders , www.city-data.com/city/New-Haven-Connecticut.html.

New Haven Directory (New Haven: Price & Lee Co., 1914-1987).

"New Haven Popeyes owners treat 550 to Thanksgiving feast." New Haven Register. Accessed February 25, 2018.