Popeyes in Thorney Way, Stowmarket, welcomes first customers at grand opening today

Fried chicken fans queued overnight for an American fast-food giant to open the doors of its first Suffolk restaurant today.

Popeyes welcomed customers at 11am to its new restaurant in Thorney Way, Stowmarket, joining the nearby McDonald’s, Starbucks and Costa.

Jayden travelled from Leeds and queued for 13 and a half hours to be one of the first in the queue and to be in with a chance of winning one of the chain’s opening day giveaways.

He said: “I had my first Popeyes in Leeds a few weeks ago, and I liked it so much that I wanted to come all the way to Stowmarket to experience a launch day and see if I could be one of the first in the queue.”

The restaurant, which has created 61 jobs in the town, sits south of Gun Cotton Way on a site approved for development by Mid Suffolk District Council in November 2022.

Two drive-through units were granted permission, with Starbucks occupying the other.

While many residents have shared their excitement on social media, others voiced concerns about increased litter, traffic congestion and what some believe is a dangerous junction near the new site.

To celebrate the launch, Popeyes offered a year’s supply of free chicken sandwiches to the first three customers on foot and the first three cars in the drive-through.

The first 25 people in each queue also received exclusive Popeyes UK merchandise and the first 50 won a free chicken sandwich.

Randy, from Stowmarket, arrived at 10pm the night before and said: “I’ve had Popeyes before and I am a massive fan of the chicken.

“When I saw they were opening in my home town, I knew I had to come down and be one of the first to get my hands on a chicken sandwich.”

Friends and family of Popeyes staff got a sneak peek inside the restaurant during a soft launch event last night where they sampled the Louisiana-style fried chicken, cajun fries, shakes and whipz ice cream.

Staff said they expected queues to begin forming from 9am.

Popeyes CEO Tom Crowley said: “We’re thrilled to bring the taste of New Orleans to Suffolk with the opening of our newest drive-thru restaurant.

“We've seen a great response from fans in the area and we’re proud to be serving our bold Louisiana flavours to more people across the UK - with plenty more openings to come in the second half of the year."

Additional reporting from Suzanne Day.