Popeyes Chicken opened in Windsor and Twitter went mad

[Stephane Dumas]

I spotted that article about a new Popeye's restaurant who opened in Windsor, Ontario.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/popeyes-chicken-opened-in-windsor-and-twitter-went-mad-1.3502279

[Max Rockatansky]

The best part about this is that there is people that will literally cross the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel just go get food there.      I remember watching people lose their minds when Krispy Kream, In'n'Out and Chick-fil-a all opened up in Arizona.  The first In'n'Out had a mile long back up when it first opened.

[Rothman]

You should see the "new" Sonic here in Latham, NY.  Ridiculous lines and hype and I'm not sure how Sonic managed to generate that. 

[The Nature Boy]

I once made the reverse crossing (from Michigan to Canada) to eat at Harvey's so I can understand that.

[Max Rockatansky]

I once made the reverse crossing (from Michigan to Canada) to eat at Harvey's so I can understand that.

So have I, Harvey's is full of delicious goodness.  Everyone asks me about Tim Horton's when they find out I'm originally from Michigan even though I was long gone before they were mainstream out there.

[rawmustard]

The Popeyes on the west side of Kalamazoo had long lines when it first opened. I didn't understand what the big deal was then; I don't understand it now. At least in Kalamazoo's case, it wasn't the first time the chain opened in the area, since a prior Popeyes franchisee went out of business.

[The Nature Boy]

I once made the reverse crossing (from Michigan to Canada) to eat at Harvey's so I can understand that.

So have I, Harvey's is full of delicious goodness.  Everyone asks me about Tim Horton's when they find out I'm originally from Michigan even though I was long gone before they were mainstream out there.

The looks of confusion I got from the border patrol people were priceless though. I happened to be in the area (I was in Port Huron visiting a friend) and the place where we wanted to eat happened to be across an international boundary, same as when I crossed from Calais, ME to St. Stephen, New Brunswick to eat at an A&W. No one thinks it's odd to drive to a neighboring town to grab a bite to eat. I legitimately wanted into the country so I could grab something to eat at a place that I liked to frequent.

Neither crossing took more than 5 minutes though.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I don't understand the excitement for Popeye's either.  I mean, Popeye's is OK, but, I'd say it's just OK.

I'm actually surprised it's taken Popeye's so long to open a store in Windsor.  Further down the highway in K/W, they have had Popeye's restaurants for nearly a decade now.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I once made the reverse crossing (from Michigan to Canada) to eat at Harvey's so I can understand that.

So have I, Harvey's is full of delicious goodness.  Everyone asks me about Tim Horton's when they find out I'm originally from Michigan even though I was long gone before they were mainstream out there.

The looks of confusion I got from the border patrol people were priceless though. I happened to be in the area (I was in Port Huron visiting a friend) and the place where we wanted to eat happened to be across an international boundary, same as when I crossed from Calais, ME to St. Stephen, New Brunswick to eat at an A&W. No one thinks it's odd to drive to a neighboring town to grab a bite to eat. I legitimately wanted into the country so I could grab something to eat at a place that I liked to frequent.

Neither crossing took more than 5 minutes though.

A Canadian friend of mine lived in Detroit for a few years a number and would routinely cross back into Windsor to get Swiss Chalet.  Nothing else is Swiss, indeed.

[MisterSG1]

Ah, Krispy Kreme, I recall when that one on Mavis Road opened in 2002 in the Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga, and had those impressive lineups that I actually waited in back then. I know they opened 5 or 6 more locations in the GTA but ended up closing them all except the original one in Mississauga, from what I remember reading, this happened in a lot of North American cities.

As for Swiss Chalet, that's hit or miss with my experience, sometimes you get good chicken, and sometimes you get overcooked chicken, at least at the locations I've been to.

But who am I to talk, as someone who makes occasional trips to the nearest White Castle in Metro Detroit, or to Outback Steakhouse in Amherst, NY. (Outback had a mild presence in the GTA but closed down all their stores by the end of the 20-aughts)

As for Popeye's, I believe that they were in the GTA for nearly 2 decades before finally hitting the WNY market. But as for fried chicken, you can't go wrong in my opinion with the chain from Newfoundland, that is Mary Brown's, they beat what Popeye's and KFC have to offer any day.

[jp the roadgeek]

Reminds me of when Kenny Rogers' Roasters, Sonic, and (even more so) Krispy Kreme opened in my area.  In Kenny's case, the lines were out the door. In Sonic's case, they were around the parking lot and required extra workers.  In Krispy Kreme's case, the lines were 2 miles down the road and local police had to keep traffic detail.  The amazing thing about both: the fads died out and both were gone within a couple of years (with the exception of a single Krispy Kreme at a local casino).

[SignGeek101]

I used to live in Hamilton. There was a Popeyes there, on the other side of the city. Totally worth the trip. Better than KFC.

Coming home from a Washington trip in 2012, we stopped at a mall in Syracuse and got some Popeyes. Then crossed the border and went home. A few hours later, we're at home eating Popeyes in Ottawa.

[US 41]

The best part about this is that there is people that will literally cross the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel just go get food there.      I remember watching people lose their minds when Krispy Kream, In'n'Out and Chick-fil-a all opened up in Arizona.  The first In'n'Out had a mile long back up when it first opened.

The White Castle in Terre Haute had over hour long waits for the first two weeks it was open. People camped out in the parking lot just to be one of the first ones to get their sliders. I love White Castle, but not quite enough to wait in line for an hour. Some people just enjoy eating way too much I feel like.

[Max Rockatansky]

The best part about this is that there is people that will literally cross the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel just go get food there.      I remember watching people lose their minds when Krispy Kream, In'n'Out and Chick-fil-a all opened up in Arizona.  The first In'n'Out had a mile long back up when it first opened.

The White Castle in Terre Haute had over hour long waits for the first two weeks it was open. People camped out in the parking lot just to be one of the first ones to get their sliders. I love White Castle, but not quite enough to wait in line for an hour. Some people just enjoy eating way too much I feel like.

Yeah my Dad and Brother always had to stop in Indiana on the way back from Chicago.  I never really found White Castle all that appealing so usually I was out of luck for food if I had to share a car.  I usually just started driving on my own so I could stop at a Big Boy's instead.

[Desert Man]

The new Chick-Fil-A in Palm Springs and In N Out in La Quinta will make KFC and McDs run for the hills...or the border (think Taco Bell, who can't compete with Del Taco). There are now 2 Popeye's outlets in the coachella valley, and I've seen Church's chicken in Riverside and San Bernardino.

[catch22]

The best part about this is that there is people that will literally cross the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel just go get food there.      I remember watching people lose their minds when Krispy Kream, In'n'Out and Chick-fil-a all opened up in Arizona.  The first In'n'Out had a mile long back up when it first opened.

When I worked in downtown Detroit back in the 1980s, it was not at all unusual for the office gang to go over to Windsor for lunch once or twice a month.  The border crossing was no big deal back then, and Windsor had a couple of good Chinese restaurants.

[jakeroot]

The Puget Sound region was a mixed bag when Chick-fil-A first opened. Those in Seattle were, evidently, opposed to the idea of opening a restaurant with an apparent religious affiliation, but the more centrist-leaning suburbanites were far more welcoming. The Tacoma location is particularly popular with those stationed at JBLM, who I presume were common visitors to Chick-fil-A, before they become stationed in the Seattle area.

[Max Rockatansky]

The best part about this is that there is people that will literally cross the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel just go get food there.      I remember watching people lose their minds when Krispy Kream, In'n'Out and Chick-fil-a all opened up in Arizona.  The first In'n'Out had a mile long back up when it first opened.

When I worked in downtown Detroit back in the 1980s, it was not at all unusual for the office gang to go over to Windsor for lunch once or twice a month.  The border crossing was no big deal back then, and Windsor had a couple of good Chinese restaurants.

Yeah my brother and I used to cross over to go gamble in the 90s before it was legal in Detroit.  Back then it wasn't a big deal at all until they ramped up all the passport rules.  I still would rather go to Caesars in Windsor than spend any extended length of time at one of the Detroit casinos, I would say they are in a bad neighborhood but the whole city is that way now.

[roadman]

You should see the "new" Sonic here in Latham, NY.  Ridiculous lines and hype and I'm not sure how Sonic managed to generate that. 

Same thing happened when the Sonic on US 1 north in Peabody, MA first opened.  Except that the line waiting to get in backed up US 1 for several miles on more than one occasion.

[US 41]

I would say they are in a bad neighborhood but the whole city is that way now.

The border crossings in Detroit can be pretty busy too from what I've read. I've heard Sarnia is the best place to cross if you are going to be going to London / Toronto, that way you can avoid Detroit completely.

[GaryV]

I would say they are in a bad neighborhood but the whole city is that way now.

The border crossings in Detroit can be pretty busy too from what I've read. I've heard Sarnia is the best place to cross if you are going to be going to London / Toronto, that way you can avoid Detroit completely.

Depends on the day.  Sometimes the Blue Water Bridge has longer backups than the Ambassador.  Sometimes only a delay in one direction.  Sometimes a delay for trucks but not cars, or vice versa.  It all depends.  On what it depends, I don't know.