Drivers in Painesville Township may have noticed a new fast food building along Mentor Avenue. The new building prominently displays the branding for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The restaurant is not open yet, though the company has a listing for the store on its jobs page. “They’re not waiting on any inspections or anything like that,” said Township Zoning Inspector Sean Ischay during a Nov. 19 call. “At this point now, they were waiting on equipment, but I think they have that in place, but now they’re just hiring and doing punch list items through the contractor.” The township did not have an opening date available, and Popeyes did not respond to a request for comment. The restaurant will be located at the corner of Mentor Avenue and Waterford Lane, east of the Target store on the township’s border with Mentor. A drive-through and indoor space were visible from the nearby sidewalk as of Nov. 19. The planned Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at 2168 Mentor Ave., Painesville Township, is pictured on Nov. 19. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald) The restaurant’s site plan was approved by the Painesville Township Zoning Commission in July 2023. Then-Zoning Director Harley DeLeon said at the time that the building’s architectural design was revised to more closely align with the township’s “Western Reserve” design standard, including a brick veneer, cedar-like metal siding, parapets and cornices. DeLeon added at the time that the proposal went “above and beyond” the township’s minimum landscaping requirements. Ischay recently said that there had not been any major changes, except for the interior of the restaurant. The restaurant website states that there are more than 2,700 Popeyes locations. The chain started in 1972, and it said that it offers “a unique New Orleans style menu featuring spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and other regional items.” The only Popeyes currently operating in Lake County opened last year at 7635 Mentor Ave. in Mentor.