The long awaited Popeyes location is now open in the building adjacent to The 5 dining hall on campus. LSU’s announcement of the opening last summer had social media buzzing, and plenty of students awaiting their chance to order their favorite meals. 

We decided to reach out to the student body and get their input on how they felt about the new restaurant. We conducted an online survey asking students how they felt about the Popeyes. 

When considering factors such as the location, store hours and communications regarding the opening, student reviews were mixed to say the least. 

Many felt as if they were in the dark about the opening of the restaurant and it reduced their desire to visit it. LSU senior Erin Stephens shared similar sentiments.

“It should’ve been located in a different area of campus where more students frequent,” said Stephens. “I’ve been a commuter my entire college career and have never eaten at The 5 since I don’t live here. I had no clue where it was in the first place, and now that I do, I’m still not going.” 

“Make the hours more general,” said one LSU student in an online survey. “Why are we closed on Thursday? I also went in shortly after it opened, and all the seating was roped off. I haven’t been back since so I don’t know if they fixed it or not.” 

Another LSU student who took the survey concluded that this is the result of underpaid and limited staff and said that LSU should “pay employees more, and after that extend the hours.” 

Popeyes is a well-liked restaurant; so, it is not a question of whether people want to eat the food or not. The somewhat rocky launch of this location has clearly scared away some students and potential customers.

There is room for improvement especially seeing that the success of the location depends heavily on the student body being satisfied with it.