Popeyes, the New Orleans–founded fried chicken chain with more than 4,000 locations, is deepening its push onto grocery store shelves this week with the debut of at-home biscuit mixes, the latest addition to the brand’s growing line of consumer packaged goods.
The chain began rolling out its biscuit mixes to retailers nationwide on May 26, doubling down on the CPG channel just over a year after entering the space with three bottled sauces at select stores and online retailers.
This time, though, the brand is betting on biscuits, a Popeyes menu staple since 1983.
“Our guests have always loved our biscuits, and we’re thrilled to bring the flavor of the iconic Popeyes Biscuit into homes nationwide in a whole new way,” Matt Rubin, chief marketing officer at Popeyes, said in a press release. “As we continue expanding our CPG presence, launching ahead of National Biscuit Day (May 29) is an exciting milestone that allows fans to celebrate the Popeyes brand beyond our restaurants (and) give guests a new way to experience the flaky, buttery flavor they know and love wherever they are.”
For Popeyes, the prospect of a thriving CPG sales channel offers, at its best, a revenue-driving marketing opportunity, using prime real estate on grocery store shelves across the nation to gain exposure while generating profit. However, the introduction of a new item for the brand offers consumers yet another opportunity to strengthen or weaken their perception of the chain, even for items like the Popeyes Biscuit Mix that are purchased and prepared by consumers beyond the four walls.
The Southern fried chicken brand’s at-home biscuit mix hit store shelves May 26, with price tags hovering between $3.23 and $3.49. Major retail partners include Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B and Target. The mixes come in two varieties—Homestyle and Cajun Cheddar—and require only water and butter, plus a handful of cheese for the Cajun Cheddar option.
Popeyes isn’t the first national restaurant chain to test its biscuit mix at scale outside of the restaurant. Red Lobster, for example, entered the at-home biscuit mix scene in 2012, according to a 2021 press release published by NewsNation. Since then, the brand’s CPG biscuit business has grown to include several varieties of at-home boxed mixes and, as of five years ago, a ready-to-bake frozen option.
Cracker Barrel has also staked a claim on pantry space with its at-home biscuit-and-dumpling mix.
As of May 26, Popeyes joined the party, positioning biscuits as the product that may raise the brand’s CPG efforts to a more prominent sales and exposure channel.
