Fried chicken chain Popeyes has found a sweet niche in a geographical area of Dallas where there was no Popeyes before: on Northwest Highway in a little stand that has some chicken history.

The restaurant will be at 6520 E. Northwest Hwy., across from Keller's Hamburgers near the intersection of Abrams Road, in a space that was once upon a time a co-branded KFC/Taco Bell, which closed in 2018.

It was subsequently transformed into a tiny Walgreen's with a drive-thru pharmacy, but that closed in 2023.

Now it will return to its chicken roots, but this time serving the fried chicken "bursting with Louisiana flavor" for which Popeyes is known.

That includes fried chicken, chicken nuggets, and chicken tenders (it's recommended you order the "Mardi Gras Mustard" dipping sauce), plus sides such as mac & cheese, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes with Cajun gravy, coleslaw, and red beans & rice.

If you're a latter-day (post-2019) foodie, you may not recall the old days when Popeyes was kind of a sleeper. That all changed in August 2019 when the chain introduced a new fried chicken sandwich — chicken breast battered in a buttermilk crust with spicy seasoning and fried, served on a squooshy brioche bun with pickles and mayo — and the entire world lost its mind.

People waited in lines for an hour or more. The chain entirely sold out in two weeks, and the sandwich did not return until November 2019. Everyone had to "review" it, from influencer to snobby food magazine.

Fried chicken sandwiches had already existed, but Popeyes turned it into the mega-Thing it is today.

There are already two Popeyes on Northwest Highway: one four miles east at 11360 E. Northwest Hwy., at Jupiter Road; and another seven miles west at 3635 W. Northwest Hwy., near Dallas Love Field.

This Popeyes would be kind of in the center.

But more importantly, it'll be less than one mile from a Chick Fil-A, right off Northwest Highway at 6176 Retail Rd., in that shopping center near Skillman Street in front of the Walmart. Chicken sandwich showdown.

According to a spokesperson, it'll open in late 2024, and that's not the only Popeyes in the works for DFW: There are also locations penciled in for Arlington, opening in the fall, and University Drive in Denton, opening in 2025.

There are currently 20 Popeyes in the Dallas area, and that doesn't even count Fort Worth, which has 20 locations of its own.