By Nuala Sawyer - Published on August 28, 2014.
The mystery around the Popeyes space at 599 Divisadero deepened yesterday as multiple tipsters observed a construction team moving in (thanks Shelby C. and Ben F.). Open doors revealed a large group of workers, pieces of equipment, and scraps of wood. On the windows a printed-out piece of paper stated:
"WE WILL BE CLOSED WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK. WE WILL REOPEN ON SATURDAY."
Back in April, we sparked a flurry of discussion with the news that the space was officially on the market, though Popeyes has a lease that runs for another 22 years. It's one of the longest-running businesses still in existence on the corridor, having occupied the corner of Hayes and Divisadero since 1986. As Divisadero has evolved, the business' prime real estate has been re-listed for a long-term sublease.
A search for building permits has turned up no results, and the construction workers had little to offer aside from telling us that the space is undergoing a brief renovation. So in the meantime, it seems that Popeyes is not vacating, and may just be getting a much-needed upgrade. We'll update as we know more about any notable changes to the interior of the space.
