Popeyes restaurant coming to Springfield

Jared Enterprises is facilitating a Springfield return for the Popeyes restaurant chain on South Glenstone Avenue.

Curtis Jared, chief operating officer of Jared Enterprises, said the building that was home to a Purple Burrito location at 1710 S. Glenstone Ave. recently was demolished to make way for a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchise.

The property, which is owned by EMW Investments LLC, a division of Jared Enterprises, will be home to a roughly 2,400-square-foot facility being built for Fayetteville, Ark.-based Smitco Eateries Inc., which operates five Popeyes Chicken franchises, according to Jared.

Jared noted Smitco was not the same Popeyes franchisee that previously operated two locations in Springfield at the Elfindale Center and on West Kearney Street.

Brian Smith, president of Smitco Eateries, said he signed a 20-year lease with Jared Enterprises after scouting locations through Coldwell Banker commercial agent Mark Patrick. Smith said he is currently talking with Jared about finding a second location in town.

“This is just an opportunity to bring the food there to Springfield. It’s going to be a great market with all the college campuses, and the (Metropolitan Statistical Area) is very big,” Smith said, adding that the company has 20 years experience in the business.

Smitco’s five Popeyes restaurants in Arkansas are located in Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Rogers, Springdale and Van Buren.  

Smith said his general manager for the Fort Smith location would relocate to Springfield to manage the Glenstone Avenue eatery when it is completed.

Purple Burrito agreed to relocate to another Jared Enterprises property at 3459 W. Kearney St., Ste. F, Jared said, but he declined to discuss terms of the deal.

“We actually worked with Purple Burrito to relocate them,” Jared said. “They had another location on South Campbell Avenue across from Mama Jean’s, and they felt their (Glenstone) customers could go over there, and by opening on West Kearney, they could get a whole new customer base.”

According to records filed with the city of Springfield’s Building Development Services, the building would be constructed at an estimated cost of $220,000.

Jared said Larry Snyder & Co. is the general contractor for the project, and the architect is Bates & Associates. He said he expects construction to be completed in mid-April. Rick Garner with Building Development Services said a building permit was still in the review stages and had yet to be issued as of this morning.[[In-content Ad]]