Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Return Causes Brawls, Fast Food 'Woefully Unprepared'

The much anticipated return on Sunday of the now infamous Popeyes Chicken Sandwich -- which fans consider the best there is -- was greeted with block-long queues of people and cars; cheers, anger, brawls, fist fights and two customers pushing their broken down car just so they could remain in line at a drive thru.

How one ordinary chicken sandwich can trigger this level of insanity among ordinary law-abiding Americans is beyond all logic but, hey, Popeyes not complaining. The company said it was very happy the response to the return of its chicken sandwich has been "truly extraordinary and unprecedented."

The $3.99 Popeyes Chicken Sandwich regular version simply consists of a fried chicken patty on a brioche bun with pickles and mayonnaise. It can be ordered as a spicy version with cajun sauce. That's all there is to this chicken sandwich.

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich first hit company- and franchise-owned stores on Aug. 12. The company decided to sell its own chicken sandwich to compete better against Chick-Fil-A. But the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich proved so hugely popular, the company sold out its entire stock (good for two months) in only two weeks by Aug. 27.

It also turned customers into unthinking beasts when it relaunched on Nov. 3 -- which was also National Sandwich Day -- judging by media news stories. Among the eye-popping madness reported by media:

• Popeyes customers and staff brawl amid long lines nationwide and sold-out sandwiches
• One customer at a crowded Harlem, New York store screams at staff because they were taking too long to fill for his order of 10 chicken sandwiches
• Two men at a Popeyes drive-thru in Ellenton, Florida are caught on video trading blows
• Several people standing in line at an Edgewood, Maryland Popeye's stage a brawl
• Short-tempered staff at a Popeye's store Tallahassee, start tearing into each other apparently because they were unprepared to cope with the incessant customer demands

"Lord what in the sandwich is going on y’all," said a tweet that also posted a video of six people in orange t-shirts at the Tallahassee store. "Got the workers turning against each other now."

The long lines of people and cars on Sunday were evident in many Popeyes locations. Someone shared a video of a line outside a Popeyes in Savannah, Georgia going out the parking lot and across the street. Another man in Orlando, Florida shared a similar video.

"There was 30+ cars backed up waiting to turn right into Popeyes and another 20 backed up in the turn lane waiting to turn left," tweeted one person.

But the sandwiches were apparently worth the long wait. Many of those interviewed by media said the sandwiches were very good.

A Popeyes at Union Square in New York was unprepared for the onrush of customers as it had a staff of only two people. One customer said this location seemed "woefully unprepared" for the huge demand and the long line of customers, some of whom had been standing in line for over an hour.