NEW ORLEANS – National Buttermilk Biscuit Day (May 14) is a big deal at Copeland’s of New Orleans – a New Orleans-based regional chain with 12 locations throughout Louisiana, Texas, Georgia and Florida.
Copeland’s was created in 1983 by Al Copeland, the late founder of Popeyes, the global fast food brand that began a decade earlier with one store in Arabia, La. Copeland’s son, Al Jr., says that when his father replaced dinner rolls with biscuits at Popeyes, in 1980, the new option quickly became an iconic staple and increased sales by 20%. The addition was such a success that the company’s official name changed to Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken and Biscuits.
No doubt inspired by that success, Copeland’s of New Orleans has served a buttermilk biscuit with every entrée for 37 years. The restaurant makes them from scratch using locally sourced dairy from Kleinpeter Dairy Farms.
“My dad spent years perfecting his recipe for the famous buttermilk biscuit,” said Al Copeland Jr., who is the CEO and chairman of Al Copeland Investments, parent company for all the family’s businesses. “It was a turning point in his restaurant business and today has an increased following.”
Copeland, who died in 2008, lost ownership of Popeyes in the early 1990s, but the family still owns Diversified Food and Seasonings, a food manufacturing company that supplies batters, breading, sauces and spices to Popeyes locations internationally. Diversified is based in Covington and has plants in Madisonville, La., and Theodore, Ala. One of it’s most important products? Biscuit mixes, of course. …
Learn more at copelandsofneworleans.com.
