Love that shrimp (not chicken) from Popeye's!
Man! My pal from the semi-defunct(?) DiabeticCandy blog just notified me that Al Copeland, founder of Popeye's, has died. I gotta say, I was shocked, and not just because I was thinking of him yesterday while awaiting my butterfly shrimp combo sans drink.
In this time of sorrow, I must say thank you Al, for providing me with delicious treats (chocolate glace, spicy fries, and filet mignon) that I ingested many years ago, and will continue to ingest. Most likely this Wednesday.
Btw - if you're wondering about the filet mignon, etc., that's from the Copeland's of New Orleans restaurant, not some fancy Popeye's you can't seem to find in your neighborhood.
Lastly, if you read the obit, you'll learn that Popeye's was not named after the cartoon character...interesting, eh? But don't take my word for it. Read the obit to learn many more fun and nifty facts about dear departed Al.
Mr. Copeland, RIP.
In this time of sorrow, I must say thank you Al, for providing me with delicious treats (chocolate glace, spicy fries, and filet mignon) that I ingested many years ago, and will continue to ingest. Most likely this Wednesday.
Btw - if you're wondering about the filet mignon, etc., that's from the Copeland's of New Orleans restaurant, not some fancy Popeye's you can't seem to find in your neighborhood.
Lastly, if you read the obit, you'll learn that Popeye's was not named after the cartoon character...interesting, eh? But don't take my word for it. Read the obit to learn many more fun and nifty facts about dear departed Al.
Mr. Copeland, RIP.
posted by H. at 11:44 AM
7 Comments:
Some regarded this guy derisively as new rich white trash. Some are born on third base and think they hit a triple. This guy hit his own stand-up triple -- H/S dropout and for a time lived in the projects.
From the Times Picayune article - "After six months, Chicken on the Run was still losing money. In a last-ditch effort, Copeland chose a spicier Louisiana Cajun-style recipe and reopened the restaurant as Popeyes. In its third week of operation, Copeland's revived chicken restaurant broke the profit barrier."
Interesting what a small change can make in one's destiny.
Thanks for your comment! I saw that quote in the USA Today obit as well and thought that it was amazing.
Let's be glad that the first shop failed...let's face it, Chicken on the Run...not such a great name. (Although it is kind of amusing.)
Aw c'mon, give the chicken a try. It's righteous.
Aw. Y'know, I *have* tried the chicken. I cain't help it, I prefer the Colonel's chicken. But I love me some corn on the cob, Popeye's-style!
My favorite line from the obit: "sold his car at age 18 for enough money to open a one-man doughnut shop." And I thought, "and let this be a lesson to us all," because sure, they laughed when he sold his car, but who I ask you, who had the last laugh? Well I suppose they did, because he died, but that's not my point.
And he died from a salivary gland tumor. I mean, talk about the irony.
I always loved the Popeye's mashed potatoes and gravy. The heartburn was worth it. I also will always treasure the memory of my sister barfing on my shoes outside the Copeland's on St. Charles.
I took my dates to Copeland's. I even had a fake date there. Good times.
Thanks for the memories, Mr. Copeland. Here's hoping you're enjoying a nice plate of fried chicken whereever you are.
So Flapjam, it's now April that's right April 26, 2008; que pasa? Hope all is well. What's going on with the apartment building? What's going on in Chicago? How come everybody's shooting everybody over there? Where do they think they are -- West Virginia? What's going on with the weather? Seen any concerts lately?
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