When Buffalo’s first Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchise opened this past December, there were drive-thru lines 25 cars deep for months. Why would people endure such long lines for fast-food chicken?
Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing in the School of Management
“Certain consumers eagerly anticipate the arrival of popular businesses or services—a phenomenon called ‘pent-up demand’ (in the case of Popeyes, due to the product being previously inaccessible). I know people who frequented Popeyes when it first opened, because they had tried it elsewhere and craved the offerings—lines or no lines. This type of consumer behavior can create a snowball effect that influences others to see what all the fuss is about.”