I queued 16 hours overnight for Popeyes chicken and it was worth it

Scores of people were seen stretching down Piccadilly Gardens today for one thing - the chicken sandwich that ‘broke the internet’. Popeyes, the name on every Mancunian foodie's lips, opened its first ‘viral’ American multinational chain restaurant in Manchester this morning (26 October).

Its smash-hit chicken sandwich - comprised of a brioche bun, mayo, pickles and fried chicken - had the internet going into a meltdown over the humble lunchtime treat. Put simply, people are obsessed with the iconic chicken brand - to the point that fans even queued for over 16 hours to be the first to cop a bite.

Mates Hashim Akhtar, and Farhan Munir, from Cheetham Hill, have been queuing since 7 pm last night (Wednesday), and despite the classic Manc weather acting overcast and drizzling with rain, these fans couldn’t be in higher spirits. “I’m very excited for today. It’s got a lot of hype, it’s crazy,” Hashim said.

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“Americans are raving about it nonstop - I thought it’s finally in my city, let's try it. I’m not tired either, you know, I kept thinking about the chicken and my energy’s got higher,” the 17-year-old added.

Farhan said: “The chicken sandwich is the one. I saw it on TikTok and we decided to go down. After such a long wait we can’t wait to finally try it.”

Henry Fong, 20, from Altrincham befriended the pair in his own solo overnight wait - he too, couldn’t wait to get his hands on the mouth-watering menu.

“It’s been a long night and I’m definitely tired,” he laughed, “But I’ve got that chicken on my mind. I’ve got to waffle