Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits Surpasses $1 Billion Dollar Annual Sales Mark for First Time in History

ATLANTA (December 28, 1999) - Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, the world's second largest quick-service chicken chain, today announced that the company has achieved worldwide annual sales in excess of $1 billion dollars for the first time in the 27-year history of the company.

"We are very excited that we have reached the $1 billion dollar milestone and we feel that it places the Popeyes brand in select company as one of the premier brands in the Restaurant industry," Jon Luther, President of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, said. "We have worked hard over the past few years to put together a menu and a dining experience that is like that of no other quick-service concept. Reaching the $1 billion dollar sales mark is a validation of the efforts that have been made by our employees and Franchise partners."

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits has more than 1,350 restaurants in 41 states and 21 countries worldwide and has emerged as one of the leading concepts in terms of growth in the restaurant industry over the past two years. The brand posted a strong comparable sales increase of 5.2 percent in 1998 and the company is again one of the industry leaders in comparable sales in 1999.

The Popeyes menu is designed to appeal to the more than 30 million Flavorseekers™ in the United States that enjoy flavorful, but not necessarily spicy food. In addition to its signature New Orleans-style spicy and mild chicken, the brand features a line of side items that include Cajun Rice, mashed potatoes, and its world-famous red beans & rice.

Last year, Popeyes introduced a new "over-rice" product line featuring jambalayas, etouffees, stews and gumbos based on the "one-pot cooking" traditions of southern Louisiana. This product line was recently awarded the prestigious Menu Masters Award for Best Menu Extension by Nation's Restaurant News.

The brand continued its position as one of the growth leaders in the restaurant industry in 1999 with the continued expansion of the Popeyes concept domestically as well as the entrance into new markets internationally, such as Poland and Surinam. Additionally, Popeyes took the first steps toward developing a stable of concepts in the Cajun segment of the restaurant industry with the introduction of the Cajun Kitchen and Popeyes Cajun Cafe concepts in Chicago and Atlanta respectively.

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, the world's second-largest chicken chain in terms of sales, is a division of AFC Enterprises and operates the Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Cajun Kitchen and Popeyes Cajun Cafe concepts. Popeyes was recently awarded the Restaurants and Institutions Choice in Chains Gold Award for Customer Service as well as the Nation's Restaurant News Menu Masters Award. Founded in 1972, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits today has more than 1,350 locations in 41states and 21 countries worldwide and achieved 1998 system-wide sales in excess of $982 million.

For franchise information visit Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits on BISON.