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By Susan Elise Campbell
A new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, a southern style chicken restaurant, opened in Halfmoon, the latest franchise to be launched by Liberty Restaurants Holdings of Albany LLC.
According to company president and CEO Laddi Singh, the Clifton Park area “has been one of our top markets since we opened our first franchised restaurant, a Burger King, in 2013.”
Singh and his brother Rana Kaknia have opened three franchises thus far in 2022, the most recent of which is the one located at 483 Route 146, Halfmoon.
“At least 10 more Popeyes restaurants will follow in the upstate New York and Connecticut markets this year,” said Singh. “We are always open to exploring new opportunities if they make sense.”
The Saratoga area will be part of that.
“We want everyone to be able to try us out without having to drive too far, so this is just the beginning for us in and around Saratoga County,” Singh said.
LRH currently owns and operates 26 Popeyes, six Burger Kings, and five Arby’s, Singh said. “Through investment in top-notch operations, we have been able to expand at a rapid pace.”
Many more franchises are in various stages of planning. Singh said the company has signed a large-scale development agreement in upstate New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to build more than 30 restaurants over the next few years.
“LRH was the 2020 Popeyes Franchisee of the Year, selected for the firm’s commitment to excellence with operations, passion for their customers, and investment in their teams,” said Heidi Cousineau, vice president of real estate and construction for LRH.
Cousineau has partnered exclusively with real estate brokers Kevin Parisi and Cameron Quinlan of Trinity Realty Group in Albany to identify locations for all of LRH’s restaurants, she said.
“The expertise of TRG helps us evaluate each market very critically and to go after the best sites with the best visibility and access for our customers,” she said. “Since the 30-plus store commitment is such a large effort, we are identifying markets with the strongest competitors and expanding in phases.
“All the while we bear in mind the existing geographical footprint of restaurants so we never compromise operations.”
Popeyes is committed to brand quality and consistency, and therefore the corporation has a prototypical image type and building type that franchisees must adhere to, according to Counsineau.
“LRH does not deviate from that type because it works and it’s beautiful,” she said. “We make a huge investment in perfecting our signage and our site improvements so that we match the brand and customers can recognize the restaurant’s new image.”
Singh said he was “so thankful to the communities of Halfmoon and Clifton Park as well as the Shenendehowa School District for believing in our brand and supporting us on our opening day.” At the January openng, “lines of people wrapped around the building and onto the street for most of the day, which was a far better turnout than we could have hoped for.”