DAPHNE, Ala. (WKRG) — There’s a new hot spot on the Eastern Shore. Lines around the block, a crush of customers at the door. It’s all the rage and it’s all anyone is talking about. It’s not a hot new sushi joint, steakhouse, or even seafood restaurant. In fact, it’s not even new. It’s just your humble neighborhood Popeyes.

By now you’ve heard the hype. You’ve heard of the Great Chicken Sandwich War of 2019. But you probably didn’t know that this little previously unremarkable chain location on Highway 98 in Daphne is one of the most powerful weapons in this world war of chicken.

Just like, well almost everyone, WKRG employees have been trying out the Popeyes sandwich. Saturday afternoon as we chowed down on the much-talked-about bird between bread, the area manager of Popeyes stood up from his crouch at the soda machine. With all of the added customers, that thing is taking a beating and likely needs constant refill attention. As he rose up from adding more Vanilla Cherry Diet Coke or Orange Fanta, he made an announcement to the throngs of people in line to order, those standing by to get their bags full of chicken handed across the counter, and those fortunate enough to already be in their seats savoring the golden brown crispy greasy goodness covered in pickles. “We sold 1,522 sandwiches yesterday, number one chicken sandwich selling store in the world,” said Area Manager Billy Flannigan.

Flannigan said that means they averaged two chicken sandwiches a minute on Friday. They even beat the stores in New Orleans, the birthplace of Popeyes.

The new item has disrupted the chicken sandwich paradigm in the world as much as it’s disrupted the traffic flow of the little strip mall where the Daphne location is anchored. And while we will let you decide if Popeye’s or Chick-Fil-a has the better bird, we will say this: this is certainly the best thing that happened to someone named Popeye since Olive Oyle. People really do “love that chicken(sandwich) from Popeyes.”