Popeyes announced Tom Crowley as U.K. CEO

Following last month’s announcement of Popeyes’ U.K. expansion, the fried chicken chain has now appointed experienced leadership.

At the end of March 2021, Popeyes announced plans to launch its first location in the U.K. in 2021, with a strategy to introduce more than 350 restaurants to the country over the coming decade.

Now, the Louisiana chicken brand has announced Tom Crowley as its U.K. chief executive officer. Crowley brings more than 20 years of experience in the U.K food industry, having previously held jobs in the pub, casual dining, and QSR sectors.

Most recently, Crowley served as the managing director for Giraffe Concepts, and then as the CEO of Boparan Restaurant Group – the U.K. master franchisee for another popular U.S. chicken chain, Slim Chickens.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to launch the globally renowned Popeyes brand into the dynamic U.K. market. I believe we have a truly disruptive proposition rooted in authentic Louisiana culture that will really resonate with U.K. guests,” said Crowley.

“This last year has been incredibly hard on the hospitality industry and I’m pleased that Popeyes will be able to contribute to the industry’s recovery with our ambitious goals for the U.K. Popeyes is a very special brand and I am very excited about what we can achieve over the next 10 years and beyond.”

The first Popeyes in the U.K. is currently scheduled to open by the end of 2021, and will mark the brand’s 11th country in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region; a region that already has more than 350 Popeyes restaurants.

Popeyes was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1972, and currently operates 3,400 locations across 29 countries.