Popeyes planned for city
NORWALK — A new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen location is in the works.
Developers hope to renovate a vacant Westport Avenue building that once housed a Burger King into the popular fast-food chicken restaurant, according to plans recently submitted to the city.
The newly proposed restaurant reflects the growing popularity of the Cajun-inspired chain, which has seen a jump in sales since launching a new fried chicken sandwich nearly two years ago.
The new location, which would sit at 480 Westport Ave., would be the second Popeyes in Norwalk and the seventh in Fairfield County. The chain operates more than 20 locations across the state, according to its website.
The now-vacant building most recently housed a since-closed Indian buffet and was previously the home of a Burger King. The nearly 3,500-square-foot structure was built in 1972, according to city property records.
Under the proposal, developers would install a new facade to the exterior and renovate the interior of the single-story building. A drivethru lane will also be restored along the east side of the structure, and a single drive-thru window will be added to the side of the building.
The redevelopment project “will put a long-underutilized, vacant site to a productive use by mimicking existing conditions while improving the overall aesthetics of the building, parking area, and site landscaping in full compliance with all applicable regulations,” engineers wrote in the application for a site plan review.
Developers are not proposing to add any new parking spaces to the 0.6-acre site. The property already includes 36 parking spaces, which exceeds the amount of spaces required under city rules. The on-site lighting will also be maintained.
Popeyes, a quick-service restaurant owned by Canadian firm Restaurant Brands International Inc., is
known for its fried chicken, seafood and biscuits. Norwalk’s first Popeyes opened on Connecticut Ave. in 2017.
It is unclear when developers intend to start construction on the project. Representatives for the developer, WDG Norwalk, were not available for comment on Tuesday.
The Norwalk Zoning Commission is currently slated to review the application at its April 21 meeting, according to Bryan Baker, the city’s principal planner. A vote on the project is expected at a later date this spring or summer.