Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc. will build its first Tri-City location at 240 N. Ely St., the site of a now-closed used car business at the intersection of Highway 395 and Vista Way/Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick.

The city issued a demolition permit for the dealership on July 6, saying the site would be redeveloped with a 2,333-square-foot fast-casual restaurant.

Fat Olives restaurant operated in the building until 2016, when the 3,000-square-foot building was repurposed into a car sales business.

A Popeyes spokesperson could not identify the local franchisee or confirm the company’s plans.

Popeyes is identified in Kennewick building permits and on a map that the city of Kennewick uses to identify key development projects.
Founded in 1972, Popeyes offers a New Orleans-style menu featuring fried chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other regional items. The Popeyes menu draws on the Louisiana culinary heritage. The company operates 3,100 restaurants in the U.S. and around the world. 

Menu staples include chicken tenders, nuggets, fried shrimp and family meal options, along with cajun fries, mashed potatoes with gravy, red beans and rice, coleslaw and biscuits.

The new restaurant will be next to Roaster’s Coffee and EconoLodge.

Panda Express, Walgreens and Starbucks Coffee are on the opposite corners.

It will have limited parking, and a double wishbone-style drive-thru, according to a site map.

Popeyes is part Restaurant Brands International, a Toronto-based company that owns Tim Hortons and Burger King. It has Washington locations in the Puget Sound area, Spokane and Yakima.