Help Animals by Asking Popeyes to Add a Plant-Based Menu Item
Help Us Protect Chickens
By offering a meat-free entrée, Popeyes can make it easier for those looking for accessible ways to reduce their meat consumption to meet their goals.
Chickens raised for meat are some of the most abused animals on the planet, and more than 8 billion of them suffer unbearable cruelty on factory farms every year in the US. More plant-based items on restaurant menus nationwide can help lessen the demand for animal products and reduce the number of animals suffering on factory farms. That is why we are calling on Popeyes—one of the largest fried chicken chains in the country—to add a plant-based chicken item to its menu nationwide.
By offering a meat-free entrée, Popeyes can make it easier for those looking for accessible ways to reduce their meat consumption to meet their goals and expose meat-eaters to kinder options that are satisfying and delicious.
The more restaurants like Popeyes play their part in mainstreaming plant-based foods, the more likely we are to transition to a kinder, more sustainable food system.
You Can Help
Please complete the actions below to help amplify this campaign and move Popeyes to add a plant-based chicken item to its menu nationwide.
Note: Popeyes is owned by parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI), so the actions below are directed at both Popeyes and RBI.
1. Email executives at Popeyes and parent brand Restaurant Brands International (RBI).
Click on the link, enter your information in the form, and customize the text provided before sending your email.
2. Share the action page with ten people.
Send the link above to ten friends, fellow activists, or family members via direct message or email and ask them to take action in support of the campaign.
3. Call Popeyes customer service.
Dial 877-767-3937 from your phone. Press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then stay on the line to speak to a representative. When someone picks up, introduce yourself and use the script below to guide your conversation. Please feel free to edit the content of the script to make it your own:
“Hi my name is [___]. I am calling to ask that Popeyes add a plant-based chicken item to its menu. It’s hard for those looking to eat less meat to find anything plant-based to order at Popeyes.”
4. Comment on the most recent Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts from Popeyes.
Click on the three links above to comment on the chain’s most recent social media posts. Use the example comments below and make them your own.
- Example comment 1: Is Popeyes planning to add a plant-based chicken item to its menu? I would love to try it if you do! #PlantBasedChickenFromPopeyes
- Example comment 2: I love animals and would be the first to try a plant-based chicken sandwich if you added it to your menu. #PlantBasedChickenFromPopeyes
- Example comment 3: More than a quarter of Americans are looking to eat less meat. Is Popeyes planning to start a plant-based fried chicken sandwich war? I’d love some #PlantBasedChickenFromPopeyes!
- Example comment 4: It's hard for those looking to eat less meat and plant-based eaters to find anything satisfying to order at Popeyes. Please add a plant-based chicken item to your menu and make it easier for customers to access plant-based options! #PlantBasedChickenFromPopeyes
- Example comment 5: Plant-based food options are better for animals, people, and the planet. Is Popeyes planning to offer a plant-based chicken sandwich or plant-based nuggets anytime soon? #PlantBasedChickenFromPopeyes
5. Tweet at Popeyes.
Click on the link, enter your information if needed, and customize the sample tweet text before posting your Tweet.
6. Send Popeyes a direct message on Facebook.
Go to Popeyes’ Facebook page, then click on the “Message” button, then using the example below, type your message in the chat box.
- Example message: Hello, I would love to be able to order a plant-based chicken item from Popeyes, but you do not offer such an option. Do you plan on adding a plant-based chicken item to your menu soon?
7. Send a message from your personal email account to Sami Siddiqui, president of Popeyes; José Cil, chief executive officer of Restaurant Brands International; and Peter Genna, director of culinary innovation at Popeyes.
Sending a direct email to company leadership and making the suggested content below your own is a great way to get leadership’s attention.
To: ssiddiqui@rbi.com; jec11@rbi.com; pgenna@popeyes.com
Subject line: Plant-Based Chicken from Popeyes
Hello,
I am disappointed that a restaurant chain as big as Popeyes has no plant-based options on its menu.
Customers looking for plant-based options for animal welfare, environmental, health, or other reasons deserve to be served at Popeyes.
Adding a plant-based chicken item to your menu can expose customers to delicious options that spare animals a life of suffering and have a lower environmental impact.
I would love to try some plant-based chicken from Popeyes.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
8. Contact Popeyes’ digital support team.
This action requires a few extra steps so please be patient to be able to reach the Popeyes support team. The more people complete this action, the more likely we are to get Popeyes’ attention. Please only complete this action if you are comfortable sharing your name, email, and phone number with Popeyes.
- Follow this link.
- Click on “Contact Digital Support.”
- When the options show on the screen, click on “I don’t have an account.”
- Next, when the system asks, “What type of issue did you experience?”, select “Email a support agent.”
- Next scroll to the bottom of the options that show up and select “Other Inquiry.”
- Click on “Open Contact Information Form.”
- Enter your contact information into the form that pops up.
- You will now be able to type a message into the chat box. Please use the example message below and make it your own.
“Hello, there are no plant-based options on Popeyes’ menu, making it hard for people looking to eat less meat and plant-based eaters to eat at your restaurants. Do you have plans to add plant-based chicken options to your menu?”
- The system will then ask you to confirm that your contact information is correct. If it is, select “Yes, this is correct.”
- The system may then ask you if your issue was related to an in-restaurant experience or if you placed your order at a restaurant or on the Popeyes app or website. Select “No” or either of the other options. You may need to select “Skip” if another message comes up.
- Your message will now be sent to the Popeyes’ support team, and you will likely receive a response in your email inbox within 24 hours.
Questions and Answers
In the United States—one of the countries with the highest rates of meat consumption in the world—more than 8 of the 9 billion land animals suffering on factory farms are chickens raised for meat. These birds are bred to grow at unnaturally fast rates and endure miserable, pain-ridden lives. They are crammed into sheds by the tens of thousands, with no chance to perform any of their natural behaviors only to be killed at merely 5 to 6 weeks old. By offering plant-based versions of their menu items, big restaurant chains can help mainstream plant-based eating and expose all customers to how delicious meat-free eating can be.
The more people opt for plant-based options, and incorporate them into their daily lives, the more likely we are to lower the demand for animal products and lead to fewer animals suffering on factory farms.
At the end of this year, World Animal Protection is launching a report that will be grading top restaurant chains, including Popeyes, on their progress toward implementing meaningful animal welfare commitments and diversifying their protein options. While this campaign specifically asks Popeyes to add a plant-based protein item to its menu, Popeyes will be included in our report and held accountable for its treatment of chickens.
We believe that, in order to make a tangible impact for animals, restaurants should, along with committing to improving the welfare of the animals in their supply chains, pledge to decrease their sourcing of animal products and increase their plant-based offerings.
The waste from industrial chicken farms heavily pollutes our air and waterways and erodes soil health. Growing feed for chickens contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, one of the main culprits of climate change, and involves the heavy use of hazardous pesticides. In the US, loss of grasslands to agriculture, including chicken farming, is a leading cause of biodiversity loss.
Research shows that plant-based products perform better on every environmental impact measured when compared to conventional animal products. In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from plant-based products are 43 percent lower than poultry per 100 grams of protein.
By adding a plant-based chicken item, Popeyes can help drive more sustainable eating habits and contribute to reducing the toll of factory farming on the environment.
When restaurants offer plant-based options, they help make everyone feel welcome in their establishments, from vegetarians, to vegans, and those looking to reduce their meat consumption. Popeyes is currently ignoring plant-based eaters and customers looking to eat less meat. The chain has an opportunity to provide more choice to its current customers, appeal to a wider customer base, help those looking for accessible ways to reduce their meat consumption meet their goals, and show meat eaters how delicious and satisfying plant-based eating can be.
