Rob Parsons, The Chicken King
[My favorite thing to eat while I was a student here was at] Lena’s Sub Shop on North Campus. They had a teriyaki steak and cheese sub that I still think about to this day.
Lowell native Rob Parsons ’95 knows New Englanders prefer their local sub shops, pizza joints and clam shacks to big restaurant chains.
But Parsons, who earned a business degree in finance and has built a successful career in real estate development, says Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is different. The fresh chicken is cooked in small batches throughout the day and does not sit under heating lamps for hours. The sides are prepared from scratch. “And I’ve always liked spicy food,” says Parsons, who until recently owned seven Popeyes franchises in the Boston region. He now owns one, in Nashua, N.H.
Parsons learned about the restaurant industry while working as director of development for Popeyes and Denny’s Restaurants. He developed franchise markets in 42 states, and even took Denny’s into Central and South America. In 2009, Parsons shifted gears, founding Synergy Dining Group and developing his Popeyes franchises, including the Kenmore Square location that was a well-known favorite of several Red Sox players.
“Jonathan Papelbon and David Ortiz used to come in there quite a bit,” he says.
In 2015, Parsons sold his Popeyes to focus on a new franchise venture: developer and owner of Primrose Schools, a national private preschool chain. He had no intention of getting back into the restaurant business. But when he saw a Wendy’s go out of business near his family’s home in Nashua, he had a craving. He bought the property and opened a new Popeyes in May 2017. “Popeyes was still fresh in my memory, so I ventured back in,” says Parsons. “I’ve always loved the brand. I love the food.”—EB