Sailormen Inc. Bankruptcy Results in Sale of Remaining Popeyes Outlets and Closure of 39 Restaurants

Sailormen Inc., once the largest Popeyes franchisee in the United States with 136 locations across Florida and Georgia, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026. After selling 97 restaurants earlier in the year to various buyers, the court approved the sale of the final 23 Popeyes outlets in Orlando to SBH Foods PLK LLC for $2.67 million.

The remaining 39 Popeyes locations that could not find buyers were shut down, a move projected to save the franchisee more than $1 million in annual costs. The bankruptcy affected roughly 2,900 employees, but Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc., the brand’s corporate owner, continues operating normally.

The asset transfers included 50 restaurants to Pulse Restaurant Group LLC, 16 back to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc., five to SBH Foods PLK LLC, and three to 61 Biscuits LLC. The closures and sales mark the end of Sailormen Inc.’s operations while the Popeyes brand remains active under its parent company.