Popeyes
Jeanne D. 
Drew 
ianimal 
EarnhardtThanks. I thought I had seen something about it on HL a while ago, but nothing recently.
Anyone know any updates on this? Haven't seen any change in the pad site location nor have I seen any updates in the board meeting minutes in a few months. Just wondering if this was still expected or got canned?
Philliesman If I had enough funds I would build a Roy Rogers franchise. Roast beef sandwiches, burgers and fried chicken all with a fixings bar. We already have a KFC that nobody goes to now, I see Popeye's as another fried chicken restaurant which will starve at night.
Robert Rowe Actually I saw a commercial last night for Kentucky fried Chicken $5 for their pot pies not sure how much they cost but I know the pot pies Marie callender's have been awfully expensive and any of the supermarkets around here there's a very expensive so I am curious and I might just go there this week and get two of them because I do like a good chicken pot pie and some buttermilk biscuits.
Outdoor Women Mr Rowe, There is a good reason why no one goes to that KFC. I've personally gotten my fair share of soggy chicken and cold sides. If I recall there was a Roy Rogers in Flemington... It didn't last to long, I think like 4 years- 2016-2020. I do not know why they closed but they did have alot of bad google reviews. Flemington like Hackettstown has a lot of fast food competition.
OP OP: I used to like KFC grilled until the guy noted that the reason I could not get it quickly is that no one orders it so they threw it out to cook new because it sits forever. Somehow that did not make me feel good about all the times I got it quickly.......
Babbit They converted a KFC that no one went to in Flemington into a Roy Rogers that no one ultimately wound up going to.
Ultimately it became a Slim Chickens that everybody in the area NEVER went too and closed up. Food is weird down here in Flemington...
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/development/2020/03/02/njs-first-slim-chickens-open-flemington-former-roy-rogers/4928861002/
Lennyrock Just passed by the old Roy Rogers site in Flemington yesterday. It's an empty building right now, next to the Chimney Rock Inn. I went once for the nostalgia factor.
I've never been to the Mountain Ave. KFC but I've heard so many nightmare stories about their quality I would never. Honestly some of my favorite fried chicken wings are from China Garden. Chinese fried chicken wings just hit different.
honestyseasy I miss the Golden Skillet. I liked the Chicken from Golden Skillet and the sides from KFC, but things got weird at KFC a number of years ago, and I haven't been back!
Mr 4Paws 
eapos They started working on the pad for Popeyes about 2 weeks ago. It looks like they are preparing for laying concrete.
AP AP
Thanks for the update! I pass there every so often and wonder, when??? Good to hear there's finally activity going on! I wonder if it was held up due to requirements from Mansfield Twp., or their corporate entity having to move more slowly on building new outlets.
The same goes for the former Tony's Luncheonette. Just looking solidly abandoned now. Not a real good look if you want to show a vibrant place to live and/or work. Wonder if the new owners are dragging their heels, or site approvals are an issue. I could see how a drive through Dunkin' could create a traffic issue, as does the one on Mt. Ave. That is, if the site isn't set up to mitigate that!
Phil D. 
Bernie "Not a real good look if you want to show a vibrant place to live and/or work."
Neither is a Popeye's chicken.
Just like a dollar store- they are primarily put in low income areas.
I wouldn't say it is a benefit to the local residents... unless you like being part of that demographic.
Bring on the pawn shops and payday loans!
Josh Josh
By "Not a real good look if you want to show a vibrant place to live and/or work.", I was referring to empty buildings, chewed up parking lots, and cordoned off areas that have no actual building yet. Whether my personal feelings on Popeye's matches yours or not, really doesn't matter. I've never had their chicken before, but will try it, if and when the establishment is finally open. I'm not sure what "high-brow" chicken place you'd have liked in the area. Heck, the brand name bookstores, small as they were, even left this area long ago. It would be great if we could even entice one of them back, but, you know, Amazon books, etc...
Some of the best fried chicken I've ever had was the "Chicken Shack" in Jacksonville, NC, just off Gum Branch Rd. It was an off the beaten path wooden shack of a place with a not so good reputation, though that may have been to help keep it from being popular with non locals. Not sure if you were ever stationed nearby, but I doubt you visited there if you were anyway. Not sure what year it closed, but then, there were a good amount of other very good places there for chicken and biscuits, or just fried chicken alone.
Phil.... I have no problem with basic good food...in a down and dirty bare bones place.
What I tried to infer- and there are articles written on this- of certain establishments- Popeyes one of them- that they target low income areas for their choice of business locations. Therefore- not a good look for the town if trying to move ahead.
And there certainly is a tangible distinct difference between a sole proprietor putting care into his 'simple basic' food... VS big corporate lack of oversight and employees that just don't care.
The last time I went into the KFC in Hackettstown- after waiting what seemed an eternity at the drive thru of an apparently empty establishment- I pulled out into the road,...reached into the bag...and if memory serves..the sandwich was at the bottom- bun in one place... meat in another location...like they had just thrown it in...not actually assembled it or wrapped it.
Not sure if that speaks worse of the manager on duty / corporation- or the people they chose to hire in the surrounding area.
The world would be a MUCH better place if EVERYONE put in more effort / care - and were held to a standard / accountable if they don't.
Yea... get off my lawn. :)
Josh don't look it when you pass it or frequent the place and wait for the white glove fried chicken place. I personally like to have a Popeyes close.
Jim65 
Iloveflowers Mr 4Paws
Sorry, but if that was your standard of "damn good" chicken, you really haven't been to any of the places I've been to in my lifetime. They were OK, but nothing to write home about. Then there was the service, which you happened to seem to get only if you were a friend of the owner, or someone he knew for quite a while. Hospitality never seemed to be on his menu.
I’m not particularly well-informed about the relative income levels of different areas in and around Hackettstown. But if I’m driving through a section of road anywhere in the country with essentially non-descript strip malls bordering both sides, bookended by a Walmart and a Home Depot, I don’t think the addition of a Popeyes tells me much of anything about the area that isn’t already fairly apparent. This is where people run a few errands and do some routine shopping. There aren’t a lot of big box stores at the Country Club.
Monty Franchises are individually owned and operated. And if you think Popeye's is bringing property value down, then I don't know what to tell you. Having empty lots with nothing there is WAY worse for the economy in Hackettstown.
JimmyC I don't know about anyone else but I've always enjoyed the Popeyes chicken I had in the past and am looking forward to a new business in our area opening their doors. It's best to be supportive and if you cant be supportive then you can be quiet and let the people trying to start something have their shot. Let's be neighborly!
suzeeXfactor Outdoor Women
Me too. I always stop at the one on Rt. 46W in Rockaway whenever I'm out that way. Funny thing is, I also miss the Roy Rogers that used to be in the Rockaway Arby's. My ex and I used to go there for fried chicken a lot, even with the KFC right across the street.
I'm still going to enjoy trying the Popeye's!
So, is there are a Popeye coming to Hackettstown? If so, when and where exactly.
tried Popeye's once on the road...greasy, tasted a bit old....did not eat after a taste, so offered to our dog...he turned up his nose to it...KFC used to be good...not so much anymore...the Colonel might turn over in his grave nowadays...
zentravl There is a Popeyes coming to town. It’s going on Rt 57 across from the old ruby tuesdays and it is under construction
Voice of the valley 
LibertyThinker I second LibertyThinker. They are making slow progress but hopefully finish before the first major snow. I can’t wait to finally have some good chicken in Hackettstown, anyone hear of a purposed open date?
Dang it! I LOVE Popeyes chicken. Now, we finally get one and fried foods are off the table, for me. :(
Guilty-Remnant There are some towns that are very particular about what types of establishments they allow / approve (Washington Township/Mendham). Hackettstown certainly is NOT one of them.
I happen to feel that what you allow does state a little something about the clientele you want to be attracting. How many Marijuana dispensaries do we have in H-town?
How about more healthy, non mind altering options, like a year round farmers market, an organic food store, etc.
Dee 
Luca2 Popeyes is not in Hackettstown. It's in Mansfield. The selection of retail businesses in our surrounding area certainly does not seem to be a deterrent in home prices, crime rate, tourism etc. It's simply a typical American town in a small rural area. If one wants to enjoy different streetscapes with varying types of establishments one can either move to one or visit them. Trying to change an existing community that has been established since the 19th century as a predominantly working class community seems a bit futile in my opinion.
There are 2 cannabis dispensary's and one grow facility in Hackettstown. Combined those 3 facilities brought in nearly a million dollars in additional tax revenue. No evidence of any additional crime or any great detriment to the town or quality of life.
Greg " small rural area"..Greg, have you been on Bilby Road lately?.. Looks like somebody found a way to cross breed mansfield village with downtown Paterson...the traffic alone is gonna be a nightmare
Hackettstown population 10,125 (2023)
Paterson population 156,452 (2023)
Jake thinks 100,00+ people are moving to Bilby.
lol
CBGB CBGB - That's only 300 people per apartment, what could possibly be wrong about that???
It's not 1957 anymore. Laws change and growth happens. You can actually look up records on line today and don't have to guess.
GC 
GC and CBGB...the town is advertising the market rate apartments with a priority on people from Essex and Hudson counties...it may not be 100k but city people will change the character of Hackettstown. Adding more diversity might not be a bad thing but it will be changs
City people Jake? Is this like an 80s sitcom or something?
You live OFF OF RT 80 in northern NJ.
My man.
You can drive to midtown in 1 hour.
Discussing historic open space ratio and congestion per existing infrastructure in our area is a different story, but I don't think that's what you were getting at.
The Town is marketing the apartments for the Developer? That's awfully nice of them...
The town is not advertising the apartments. They are informing the public of the opportunity for affordable rental units on the town website. We are not the marketing arm for that development or developer. LOL.I agree ianimal, it would be quite benevolent of them. LOL.
The site people are directed to is a New Jersey Department of Community Affairs approved Affordable Housing Administrative Agent.
https://www.hackettstown.net/home/news/affordable-rental-units-hackettstown
This looks like an advertisement to me
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122133274610482772&id=61564483187197&set=a.122106663416482772
“the town is advertising the market rate apartments with a priority on people from Essex and Hudson counties”
Ha you can’t even read your own link. There is no priority to people from Hudson county
It’s Warren, Morris, Union and Essex. Funny how you left off Warren and Morris from your list and added Hudson
And that comes from the state not from the town, the state broke the state COAH in to 6 regions and our region is Warren, Morris, Union and Essex. The town has an obligation to advertise COAH housing again state requirement.
Jim L That is exactly what I posted above, Jake. As I stated it is a link for folks looking for affordable rental units through an agent approved by the NJ Department of Community Affairs, not an advertisement for the developer or development.
I agree LibertyThinker, lets stick to discussing some tasty vittles! I'm not sure what the Voodoo chicken sandwich is but I'd give it a whirl!
Maybe they are building the Popeyes FOR all those "city people" who will be moving in... lol
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