Popeyes Closure: The Beginning of a Larger Trend?

View of Closed Popeyes – Photographed by Gabriella Eckstein

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The City of Oswego’s only Popeyes is to be demolished and replaced with a 7-Brew, marking a major shift in not only Oswego’s fast-food locations, but also in several other locations.

Confirmed by Popeyes’ former store manager, the Popeyes in Oswego Town is to be demolished and replaced with a 7-Brew. While the timeline is not clear, demolition has already begun, and the store has since ceased operations. 

The closure reflects a broader trend in Central New York’s fast food industry, specifically Popeyes. A Popeyes in Cicero recently closed as well, and it is the second location in the greater Syracuse area to close in under two months. Other Popeyes locations remain in business in Central New York. Not only does it reflect a broader trend in Central New York, but in Popeyes as a whole, as nineteen other locations have been shut down in Florida and Georgia. 

Sailormen, a major franchise owning over 130 Popeyes locations, filed for bankruptcy in January. Following the franchise’s bankruptcy, 17 Popeyes locations were immediately closed. Although the Sailormen franchise does not own any New York Popeyes, the closures raise broader questions about the chain’s stability. 

The City of Oswego’s Popeyes officially ceased operations on Sunday, March 15th. Employees were given only 24 hours’ notice before the doors officially closed. Construction timelines have not been provided, but ongoing demolition suggests that redevelopment focuses are moving forward quickly. Visible demolition efforts have begun at the site, with the restaurant’s signage having been removed, as well as the exterior paint being stripped. 

According to the City of Oswego’s Planning Board, the new 7-Brew will be a 540-square-foot stand and will operate exclusively through drive-through, with no indoor dining available to customers. 

The 7-Brew will be one of the first locations in Oswego County, but not in New York, as 18 other locations are scattered throughout the New York region, including nearby regions such as Syracuse and Watertown.

Credit: Fast Company

7-Brew is a popular drive-through coffee chain based in Arkansas, famous for its 7 different coffee drinks, which is based on its name. The company offers a variety of drinks, including coffees, smoothies, energy drinks, and specialty drinks. 

The Oswego location of Popeyes opened in 2022 and served as the city’s only location of the popular fried chicken chain. Oswego is a relatively small city with fewer fast food options compared to larger communities, such as Syracuse, meaning anyone now craving Popeyes will have to travel over 30 minutes to Syracuse to find another location. 

On social media, locals had mixed responses to the closure. One asked, “Can we get a Panera instead?”, expressing indifference towards 7-Brew. Other locals expressed confusion, stating that the Popeyes “didn’t even make it four years.” Many locals also complained about the abundance of coffee shops, considering the City of Oswego has three separate Dunkin locations and five other small coffee shops. Some locals have also noted rarely seeing Popeyes full, or with more than three cars in its lot. Other locals even happen to think the location is bad, and will lead to inevitable traffic due to long lines.