An American fast food restaurant in Reading town centre could stay open later at night if a bid for extended hours is successful.
Popeyes Louisiana Chicken opened in Broad Street in February last year in the unit previously occupied by the Gap clothing store.
Since then, it has been serving up its range of fried chicken, burgers, breakfast items and shakes to diners from 8am until 10pm each day.
Now, the fast food chain has applied to stay open until 2am on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
These opening hours mean it will rival its competitor McDonald’s in Friar Street, which is open until 2.45am each night, according to its website.
Other late-night fried chicken eateries in the town centre include Favourite Chicken in St Mary’s Butts, open until 3am Thursday to Saturday, and Bays Peri Peri, which stays open until 5am on Fridays and Saturdays.
An application for Popeyes to open until 2am Thursday to Saturday has been submitted to Reading Borough Council’s licensing department.
A statutory consultation into the application has begun. You can take part in the consultation by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk.
The deadline for responses is Monday, August 19.
Popeye’s has been in Great Britain since November 2021, first opening in London before branching out to other cities and towns in England, with other locations in Cardiff, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
The brand began in a suburb of New Orleans in 1972, and now has international franchises in Europe and South East Asia.
