Hastings to gain Popeyes fast-food chicken store, plans reveal

Hastings’ fast-food strip is set to welcome a new major outlet later this year with plans unveiled for a Popeyes restaurant.

The US fried chicken giant opened its first store in New Zealand last week at Takinini in Auckland.

Customers and cars queued for hours during the grand opening to get a taste of Popeyes’ fried chicken and chicken sandwiches.

Popeyes NZ has plans to roll out more stores around the country, including its first Hawke’s Bay store on Heretaunga St West in Hastings.

“We are excited to confirm that there will be a Popeyes store opening in Hastings later this year,” a Popeyes spokesman said.

Popeyes did not comment further about its plans for the region, but the spokesman said the company would “keep locals up to date on our movements over the next few months”.

Hastings District Council has approved a resource consent for the restaurant and drive-through to be built at 708-710 Heretaunga St West, and site works have begun.

The resource consent permits a 24-hour, seven-day operation as a drive-through restaurant.

Heretaunga St West is the main fast-food strip in Hawke’s Bay and includes a swathe of other fast-food options within a short distance including KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, BurgerFuel, Carl’s Jnr, Hell Pizza, Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

Iconic Hastings icecream company Rush Munro’s was also based on that street for 90 years, next to where the new Popeyes will go, but was forced to move in 2022 as the site was converted into a petrol station.

Works at the new Popeyes site have included removal of an existing building, which formerly housed a Salvation Army op shop.

The Popeyes store will feature an orange restaurant, drive-through, carpark and large sign.

Popeyes plans to open its second store in Taupō in July.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.