After a long (long) wait, this Wichita fast-food restaurant is about to open
.jpg "Among the ARJH franchise team that is training employees at the new 21st and Amidon Popeyes are, from left, director of operations and distict manager Jodi Rutledge; Ponca City Popeyes general manager Chris McDonald; and Jazzy Hamm, district manager for Oklahoma.")
It’s been one of Wichita’s longest-running unsolved restaurant mysteries: Will the Popeyes fried chicken restaurant promised two years ago at 21st and Amidon ever actually open?
Finally, the mystery is solved. Over the weekend, I heard from franchisee Abdul Hamideh, who is opening the restaurant in the former Hardee’s building at 2053 N. Amidon along with his brother, Syed Hamideh.
The two say that, barring any unforeseen obstacles, they plan to open the restaurant on Monday, Nov. 17. In fact, they’re planning a big banner they’ll hang outside that will read “finally open.”
And when it does open, the new Popeyes will stay open until 3 a.m. seven days a week. Two of the franchisees’ other four Wichita Popeyes — at 1623 S. Seneca and 4232 W. Central — are also open until 3 a.m.
The Hamidehs also have the Popeyes at 1350 N. Hillside and 3131 N. Rock Road. Different franchisees — Mitesh Patel and his son, Sumit Patel of Mid-CHKN LLC — own the Popeyes at 29th and Maize Road.
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The new Popeyes is technically the replacement for the one that operated on North Broadway for 37 years but closed in 2023. Abdul said he had to shutter the restaurant when his employees started to feel unsafe.
He still owns the building on North Broadway, though, and says he’s trying to think of something to do with it that would benefit the community.
The owners, who also have several Popeyes restaurants in Oklahoma, say that their new neighbors at 21st and Amidon have made it clear that they’re ready for the restaurant to open. One person, noticing activity in the building, was angry when he stopped by recently and realized that employees were being trained and that the restaurant wasn’t actually open yet, they said..
The hours for the new Popeyes will be 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 5:08 AM.
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