An operator of more than 130 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchises in the US has filed for bankruptcy, with debts of nearly $130 million.

Sailormen, which has Popeyes franchises in Florida and Georgia, filed the Chapter 11 notice on January 15. The Miami-based franchisee has been in operation since 1987.

In the filing, Sailormen attributed the challenges it faced to the pandemic, the economic environment and the labor market, according to court documents seen by USA Today. It is understood that the company employs around 3250 people in its Popeyes restaurants.

News outlet Restaurant Business added that Popeyes said the bankruptcy of Sailormen does not reflect the company’s own financial position.

In October 2025, Popeyes was the only brand in Restaurant Brands International’s (RBI) portfolio to record a decline in same-store sales, shrinking 2.4 per cent in one quarter.

Two of RBI’s other brands, Tim Hortons and Burger King, recorded same-store sales growth of 4.2 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively.