a color story: popeyes orange and white

I visited a Popeyes chicken shop with my brother. It was a new location at a different town. My brother mentioned that I went to this Popeyes but I denied such a notion. Not all Popeyes were the same -  my memories served a clear purpose when it came to fried chicken.  

This "new" location at Brooklyn, Ontario opened for approximately two years and it was in a modern Scandinavian style building/plaza. We, luckily, found an ideal parking spot on the streets (with no parking payments). The gentrified area suggested a rent for parking vibe with its high upkeep. Before entering, I noticed a F45 gym venue beside the chicken shop which made me giggle. If I signed up for their intense gym sessions, I would gain it all back by making the short visit next door. I wondered which franchise came in first. 

As we entered this Popeye, I noticed the wide seating area, the neon lights on top of the employee door and the loud fan - I wished they invested more into their HVAC, a common mistake most fry shops don't look into. Regardless, my impressions on Popeyes have evolved from a fascination to a staple. I was impressed that this franchise had neon lights to possibly attract a younger crowd. I'd like to think the lights caught my attention as a demographic. 

My brother went to the front and asked for the special; it was Chicken Tuesday after all. I believed the Tuesday special evolved to two pieces for $3.49 Canadian. We both remembered the time when KFC stood strong with the "toonie special" but that was our past; we weren't teens anymore. Instead, my brother ordered the family special 10 pieces with two large sides. My brother asked me what side I wanted; I suggested the coleslaw then he immediately ordered the complimenting fries.

The food was made to order, a new Popeyes experience.  We took the opportunity to check out the area and went around a ravine. Then, we stopped by the local community center; it, too, had a similar architectural Scandinavian style with the chique rooftops. The community centre felt welcoming with the impressive front gardens and we discovered their local community gym and library. After the short visit, we walked back to the Popeyes; it wasn't ready but it was worth the wait. My brother was running late for a running meet so we took bites of the chicken before heading back into the car. 

The ride back home felt familiar as the fried, greasy aromas out of the chicken boxes perpetrated the car. This was the constant at every Popeyes. We couldn't help ourselves but to eat the fries along the way. The rest of the meal was finished back at home and I discovered that the chicken shop generously added more pieces and another box of fries. This, too, felt familiar at other Popeyes shop. In a sense, I felt an immigrant comradery. 

The last time I experienced such generosity from Popeyes was in Toronto. Back then, we were running painting renovations for an interior project and instead of making dinner, we bought Popeyes. I was in a rush and didn't change my dirty painted cloth. The manager of the shop noticed our struggle and provided more pieces in the combo we bought. I appreciated the nice token of generosity as the chicken brought a silver lining towards our gruesome day. 

Of course, the fries were left over. I tried air frying out the grease and shared them with my brother. He ate them but preferred the soggy textures in the cold orange box. From a culinary standpoint, I thought it was weird - crispy and non-greasy texture was a novel ideal approach. But, his fries was his Popeyes - it hit him differently. 

Reminiscing about the recent Popeyes experience, the warm orange and white neon lights on top of the employee door highlighted my general impressions on the chicken shop.