The West side of Stoughton recently underwent a landscape transformation and is now captivating the taste buds of locals. The new Popeyes in Stoughton is located at 2440 WI-138, Stoughton, WI, and had its grand opening on Jan. 22, 2024. This latest addition has attracted much attention, and staff positions were quickly filled.
The General Manager of Popeyes, Johnny Montez, has had experience in the restaurant industry. Having opened two other Popeyes in Kansas and Illinois, he has finally committed to stay in Stoughton. The General Manager is responsible for staffing, training, and managing employees. He directs daily operations such as preparation and delivery.
“Stoughton is more of a community place, where almost everyone knows each other,” Montez said. “We were very nervous when we first opened because, being in a small town, we didn’t think we’d have many expectations.”
The nervousness turned into excitement. Montez stated that he is passionate about restaurants.
“When I was asked to run the place, I was happy to come into this town and tell people about Popeyes because I know it’s a good restaurant,” Montez said.
Montez hopes his enthusiasm and confidence in the restaurant will resonate with visitors and create an enjoyable dining experience.
However, the new Popeyes had negative customer feedback for the first few days. People encountered managers who treated their fellow employees poorly, and others saw an unsanitary environment. Stoughton consumers were unhappy with the service on both Facebook and Google Reviews.
An anonymous reviewer commented, “Manager screams at employees in front of customers.” Another anonymous reviewer commented, “Never order online here, I waited for 40 minutes for food, not impressed.”
Numerous others commented, ending up in a nearly 50/50 split between positive and negative reviews.
“Social media is a powerful place, and I’m pretty sure that all of those are from Facebook, and if they are, we do not check them,” Montez said. “I am not aware of those comments. We make sure that we stay consistent and are trying to execute procedures the right way.”
Montez wants to grow his business, and now that summer is coming, he hopes to get many students to work there.
“They have to be committed and know what they are stepping into,” Montez said. “They have to know […] that this is not a school or other place where they can do whatever they like.”
Montez also hopes for the town to grow; having more franchises open in town, means more business for Popeyes.
“As far as continuing to grow this company, we plan to open a store in Madison. That would be our plan within the year,” Montez said.
Little by little, towns like Stoughton will continue to grow, and so will the Popeyes franchise.
“Popeyes is a pretty standard company, so we, as workers, do the same procedures as other restaurant companies. I’m confident we picked the right location for this,” Montez said.
When the doors of the new Popeyes location swung open, Montez hoped for the restaurant to be flooded with hungry customers. Bringing a taste of Louisiana to the town of Stoughton, Montez guarantees this place is set to become a beloved gathering spot for friends and family. Whether you are a chicken enthusiast or simply craving Southern comfort food, the Stoughton Popeyes welcomes you.