DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) – Are you eating at an officially sanctioned Popeyes restaurant? Perhaps not if you’re chowing down in Iowa.
Earlier this month, Popeyes initiated legal action against several Iowa outlets that allegedly continued to operate using the Popeyes brand despite the termination of their franchise agreements. The lawsuit identifies five restaurants across Iowa – in Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, and the Merle Hay area of Des Moines.
The operations of these five establishments were overseen by the same former franchisee, Asif Poonja, who is named as a defendant alongside JAM Equities, a private equity company.
Popeyes’ lawsuit alleges that the defendants engaged in the “unauthorized use of Popeyes’ valuable trademarks and service marks,” by unlawfully running the five outlets as if they were sanctioned POPEYES® restaurants.
The complaint asserts that each location lost its franchise rights due to non-compliance with “Popeyes’ standards and specifications regarding food safety and brand standards.” It states that Popeyes had notified the locations about these violations, allowing time for correction, with some notifications dating back to 2024. However, the franchise declares that these issues remained unresolved.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is demanding injunctive relief and damages from each location, according to the filing.
The lawsuit can be viewed in full at Nexstar’s WHO.
Inquiries at these named locations revealed that, as of Friday, the Iowa “Popeyes” restaurants were still in business. A representative from one of the sites refused to offer comments on the ongoing lawsuit.
