Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is overhauling its marketing leadership as the U.S.-based fried chicken chain looks to reverse a prolonged sales slump and strengthen its appeal across the United States and Canada. Chief Marketing Officer Matt Rubin has been dismissed less than a year after taking the role, while other members of the marketing team have also departed, according to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN). The company has begun searching for a new CMO and appointed longtime Burger King marketing executive Barbara Linn as vice president of calendar, category, execution and field marketing.
The leadership changes come as Popeyes faces sustained pressure on comparable sales and customer traffic. In a message to the restaurant system reported by NRN, Peter Perdue, president of Popeyes in the United States and Canada, acknowledged that performance had fallen short of expectations.
“Our business performance, particularly sales and traffic, is not where we need to be,” Perdue said. He added that the brand had strong food, brand equity and loyal customers, but should be performing better within the chicken category.
The latest financial results underline the challenge. Restaurant Brands International, Popeyes’ parent company, reported on October 29 that Popeyes’ global comparable sales fell 1.8% in the third quarter of 2026, while comparable sales in the United States declined 2.2%. The figures represent a further contraction for a brand whose same-store sales had already fallen in seven of the preceding eight quarters, according to NRN’s report before the quarterly results were released.
Perdue, who joined Popeyes from Burger King last year, will take a more active role in the marketing function while the company looks for Rubin’s successor. He plans to work more closely with the marketing team, agency partners and franchisee advisers to identify changes that can support the brand’s long-term growth. Chief Operating Officer Chris Padoan will continue to oversee operations, allowing Perdue to devote more attention to marketing and demand generation.
