Just a few short months after one of its largest franchisees filed for bankruptcy and began closing restaurants across the South, leaked materials suggest Popeyes is preparing to launch a new collaboration with One Piece.
According to the Daytona News-Journal, images leaked online by an alleged employee of the chicken chain appear to show themed packaging tied to the anime, suggesting the promotion will arrive while the company is still dealing with the fallout from dozens of shuttered locations.
The leaked materials, reportedly posted by a Popeyes employee, include a box branded as “Luffy’s Bento Box,” featuring Monkey D. Luffy. According to additional details that surfaced after the leak, the meal is expected to launch April 13 and remain available through May 10.
The box would include two pieces of Popeyes chicken, mac and cheese, and a side. A larger bundle is also reportedly planned, with a fruit-flavored lemonade and a dessert themed around Tony Tony Chopper.
The collaboration comes at a difficult time for the chain. Miami-based Sailormen Inc., one of the biggest Popeyes franchisees in the country, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after years of rising costs and declining traffic.
Sailormen operated more than 130 Popeyes restaurants across Florida and Georgia before the filing. Since then, about 20 of those locations have been closed, including three additional Georgia stores identified in a March court filing.
Court documents tied to the bankruptcy show Sailormen was carrying roughly $130 million in debt. The company blamed inflation, higher borrowing costs, weaker customer traffic, and lingering financial damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. The franchisee had also tried to sell some of its restaurants before filing for bankruptcy but was unable to find a buyer.
Popeyes has more than 4,000 locations worldwide, and nearly all are owned by franchise operators. While Sailormen has struggled, parent company Restaurant Brands International has said most Popeyes restaurants remain profitable and that the overall brand continues to expand.
