Popeyes UK and Ireland, which runs around 110 restaurants, sees room for growth through drive-thrus, retail parks and franchise partnerships, Propel reports. Chief executive Tom Crowley says the business has no intention of slowing its expansion, which he said depends on securing the right people and property.
The comments appear in Propel’s Premium Club diary of 5 November, where only a short summary is free to read, so the full text is not available here. The detail below comes from the company’s latest accounts, as reported by Restaurant Online on 29 September.
What the latest accounts show
Popeyes UK raised revenue by 50% to £178 million in the 52 weeks to 31 December 2025, from £119 million, helped by almost 50 new restaurants, according to Restaurant Online. Adjusted EBITDA rose from £9 million to £17 million, while the loss before tax widened from £4 million to £6 million. The business had 108 company-operated and franchise-operated restaurants in the UK at the year end, against 64 a year earlier.
The 2026 target
Restaurant Online reported that Popeyes was on track to reach 150 locations across the UK and the Republic of Ireland by the end of 2026. Propel’s figure of around 110 restaurants compares with 108 at the end of 2025 in the accounts. The sources read do not say how many restaurants opened this year, or how the Propel count was drawn up, so the gap to the 150 target cannot be measured.
Company-operated and franchised sites
The accounts coverage combines company-operated and franchise-operated restaurants in one count and gives no split, so the number of franchise partners is not known. Restaurant Online also reported that Popeyes launched its first loyalty programme, Popeyes Rewards, which has more than 200,000 members. For an earlier local opening, see our report on Popeyes opening its first Colchester restaurant, and for the wider category, see fast food franchises.
What is not yet public
The sources read give no franchised share, no number of franchise partners, no drive-thru or retail park pipeline and no date for the 110-restaurant count. The full Propel diary entry sits behind its subscription.
