A project that would have seen a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen built in New Kensington has been canceled, a city official said Tuesday.
City Council approved the development in front of Giant Eagle on Tarentum Bridge Road more than a year ago, with anticipation of being up and running last year. It was to be built in the parking lot between GetGo and a small strip mall housing Subway and other shops.
Reviews of the project dated back to September 2021, when City Council approved a subdivision request to create a lot for the restaurant and the planning commission approved the land development plan.
Building permits were approved, paid for and picked up last November, according to Tony Males, city engineer and zoning officer.
But Males said he spoke Tuesday with Joe Galbraith, the project engineer with Gateway Engineers, who said the project has been canceled.
No reason for the cancellation was given, Males said.
Galbraith could not be reached for comment.
A Popeyes representative also could not be reached for comment. Inquiries sent to the company’s media relations email have gone unanswered for months as residents continued to ask for updates on the project.
Restaurant Brands International acquired Popeyes in 2017. The company also owns Tim Hortons, Burger King and Firehouse Subs.
Popeyes reached nearly 4,100 restaurants worldwide, according to Restaurant Brands’ report on its 2022 full-year and fourth-quarter financial results.
Popeyes’ website lists seven locations in the Pittsburgh area. A new location is under construction on Landings Drive in Harmar, adjacent to an existing KFC.
Based on township officials’ expectations, the Harmar Popeyes is more than a year behind schedule, having previously been anticipated to open in early 2022.
