Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen celebrated the opening of its 2,500th restaurant, a significant development milestone for the global Popeyes brand. Built in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, this location is one of the first restaurants to model Popeyes new international design, which was introduced as another way to communicate the Popeyes brand to its growing global audience.

“Our brand travels well, with guests around the world falling in love with Louisiana-style food as only Popeyes can make it,” says CEO Cheryl Bachelder. “The universal appeal of our food allows us to grow the remarkable Popeyes brand, bringing the culinary richness of the Louisiana region to new Popeyes fans. We are so proud to announce the opening of our 2,500th Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant.”

Popeyes restaurants span from New Orleans to the Middle East, Turkey to Puerto Rico. The Hatillo location, as well as nine other restaurants in the Puerto Rico market, is owned and operated by Brodersen Management, an award-winning Popeyes franchise owner.

Popeyes new international design, while similar to the recent domestic reimage, leverages global trends in quick service featuring a contemporary design and a more upscale look and feel.

Using the design itself as a venue to translate the Popeyes brand for its global audience, Popeyes and design firm Tesser drew from rural Louisiana and New Orleans’s lower ninth ward for inspiration. Raw materials, layered to appear that the buildings have been added on to over time, are represented in the new design.

“We have taken a design approach that communicates the Popeyes brand whether you know Louisiana cuisine or not,” says Dick Lynch, chief brand officer, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. “Our signature orange, inspired by Popeyes spices and marinades, has become a defining architectural feature. Our Louisiana heritage is visible in the artwork, in the spice jars that separate the dining space and in the materials used in the building. We know this design will capture the imagination of our guests wherever they are.”

Popeyes 2,500th restaurant opening was marked in a celebration that took place in Hatillo, attended by the secretary of labor in Puerto Rico, new Popeyes employees, and Popeyes guests, held on November 6th.