Popeyes Franchisee Inks Deal for 15 Boston-Area Restaurants

Rahman Hashimi, an experienced Popeyes franchisee, has signed a 15-location development agreement to bring new Popeyes restaurants to and around Boston.

According to a Franchise Times report, construction is already underway on the first two locations, one in Brookline and another in Brighton.

The Brookline location, scheduled to open this spring, will feature 1,800 square feet with indoor seating for 12. It will also include three ordering kiosks. Hashimi said he plans to invest roughly $1.1 to $1.5 million in construction costs to retrofit existing business infrastructure in Brookline and Brighton to support the new Popeyes franchise locations.

Hashimi, an Afghan-born immigrant with a well-established restaurant background, including prior Popeyes ventures in Brooklyn and Connecticut, said he values hands-on ownership, strict adherence to brand standards, and rigorous staff training as drivers of success.

“Building new restaurants is my passion, what I find fun, and Popeyes is a great brand to do that with. I am very confident that my new locations will do well in Boston. It's an unpenetrated market with a new crowd,” said Hashimi, the owner of Hashimi Holding of Massachusetts, in a statement shared with the Franchise Times.

Last spring, Hashimi sold the last remaining restaurants from a 17-unit Popeyes portfolio he operated in New York.

Popeyes, founded in 1972 in New Orleans, now has more than 5,000 locations worldwide and reported gross sales of around $7.4 billion. It specializes in serving spicy Louisiana-style fried chicken — sandwiches, wings, and tenders — along with other Southern-inspired dishes such as red beans and rice and Cajun fries.