Popeyes has opened its first restaurant in a UK train station.

This expansion comes three years after the New Orleans-based chicken chain made its UK debut with a store in London’s Stratford.

The Louisiana chicken chain's London Waterloo location spans 1,820 sq ft, providing guests with dine-in and take-away options from breakfast through dinner.

The group's expansion into travel hubs follows the opening of Popeyes' first store in London's Stratford in November 2021.

In August 2023, the fast food chain secured a £50m investment from a private equity firm to fuel its next phase of growth.

Since its UK launch, the New Orleans-based business has opened over 35 locations across the country. It has plans to double its estate this year by adding another 30 sites.

Popeyes joins the portfolio of 25 food and beverage brands at the Network Rail train station, including Marugame Udon and Benugo.

Hamish Kiernan, commercial director, property at Network Rail, said: “Introducing international and popular brands to our stations is an essential aspect of our retail strategy, as we strive to make our offering varied for customers. The opening of Popeyes further demonstrates our proactive steps to develop a curated retail mix.”

Tom Crowley, chief executive at Popeyes UK, added: “Waterloo is not only our first travel hub, but has been a key location for us since we landed in the UK, so the response to our opening has been incredible to see.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming people to Waterloo and hope to become a regular stop-off for those working and living in the area.”

Popeyes, which was founded in 1972, operates over 4,000 restaurants across the US and globally.