Most people don't know that only about thirty total Popeye's locations are company-owned. The rest are franchises, and yet that business model hasn't slowed down Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen ($QSR) from being only seconded by KFC ($YUM) in terms of fried chicken chains in the country. And with so many stores, Popeye's has officially released a statement about the Coronavirus and the public health environment.

But as most restaurants, fast-food establishments, diners, and even take-out places are forced to shutter operations and close their doors, so too do the biggest names in food. Popeye's is no exception, so we look at the unfortunate franchisees who are the most affected by social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 outbreak. While there are no major closures as of the time of this writing, you may want to double-check with the location nearest to you. 

Name of Franchisee

Store Count

HZ Ops Holdings, Inc.

166

Z&H Foods, Inc.

135

Sailormen, Inc.

114

Pop Investments, LP

101

TA Operating LLC

68

Frayser Quality, LLC

65

A.A.F.E.S.

53

Florida Pop, LLC

49

Continental Superior Management Groups, L.P.

 40

Janjer Enterprises, Inc.

 36

Gilligan Oil Company, LLC

 31

Tara Boulevard Restaurant Corp.

 26
Premier Cajun Kings, LLC 23
Mabo Investments, LLC 22
Brodersen Enterprises of Michigan, LLC 21
SRG Capital City Holdings, LLC 20
GPS Hospitality Ventures, LLC 19

And for everyone stuck indoors, not being able to go inside and enjoy a chicken sandwich at their local Popeye's, there's always Facebook ($FB) to complain about it on. The 'Talking About' count has been ticking up these last few weeks, as the 'Were Here' count has barely added thousands of new check-ins in the same period of time. 

Hopefully, we'll all be able to go back soon. But until then, wash your hands and stay 6 feet apart from strangers. And neighbors. Order online, get delivery, and stay safe.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

Ad placeholder