Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Fly-Infested Abandoned Popeyes Reeks For Blocks
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published May 6, 2011
Modified May 6, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
aka Jeff Goldlum
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published May 6, 2011
Modified May 6, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Love that chicken? Maybe not so much. An East New York Popeyes that's been out of business for several weeks is filled with thousands of flies (dead and live), and the garbage they so love is spewing out around the restaurant itself, according to the Daily News. And, surprise surprise, no one wants to clean it up!
Staffers at the Strauss Discount Auto store next to the restaurant, located at 850 Pennsylvania Avenue, claim the fried chicken spot has been closed for about a month, although the end was "sudden." "It smells like a dead animal has been in there for a while," she told the News. Apparently the franchise's owner, New York Inner City Chicken, filed for bankruptcy a few weeks back and didn't bother to clean the joint out before pulling the plug. The building's owner, Pennsylvania Avenue Management LLC, had no idea that the Popeyes was even closed, or that the trash cans in front of the building and the Dumpsters in back were overflowing with garbage. It's a far cry from the conditions that earned the restaurant an "A" during a Health Department visit in January.
The fried chicken chain, which was founded in Louisiana (naturally), but named after Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection, has had a rough go of it in New York, what with cars creating impromptu drive-thrus in it and whatnot. The Health Department has said they will schedule a follow-up inspection of the Popeye's soon—better bring the gas masks.
Tagged
easy new york
flies
fried chicken
garbage
gross
health department
popeyes
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .