Popeyes Jumps On The 'Girl Dinner' TikTok Trend With An All-Sides Bundle

Fried chicken chain Popeyes has now been added to the list of those inspired by TikTok's latest viral trend, the "girl dinner." On July 20, the popular restaurant launched its own version through a themed bundled meal. Since May, the somewhat controversial trend has been covered by everyone from Bon Appétit to the New York Times and involves shared photos of smorgasbord snack plates, a hodgepodge mix of random staples, or basic charcuterie that have been elevated to meal status by busy Gen Z women. It has now attracted nearly 300 million views on the social media platform alone.

Popeyes' version of the "girl dinner" takes this easy comfort food trend to another level, however. While on TikTok it has evolved to be mostly based on snack items, Popeyes goes further by bundling up Southern-style side dishes for the ultimate "girl dinner" (exactly what one would expect from the Louisiana-based chicken chain). The meal includes biscuits, cajun fries, coleslaw, mashed potatoes with cajun gravy, homestyle mac & cheese, and red beans and rice.

In a press release, Popeyes notes that its "girl dinner" menu bundle is available for a limited-time only, so while it may not become a staple menu item, for now, those wanting to try it can do so at locations nationwide, or order online at Popeyes.com for both pick-up and delivery service. 

It's a unique take on a popular trend, and may end up boosting Popeyes' profile on TikTok, where the chicken chain for now has just over 115,000 followers. Given that many "girl dinner"-style offerings shared on the social media platform have been mostly snack plate items like crackers, salami, and olives (and have been criticized for not having enough calories for a meal), Popeyes' alternative seems more like a substantial dinner, even without an actual entrée (a crux of the "girl dinner" label). 

But the most important thing in staying true to the trend's original ethos, perhaps, is the spirit of the meal. Originator Olivia Maher, a Hollywood showrunner's aide who was the first to post about it and tag the moniker in a May post joke about the "peasant food" women had in medieval times, noted in The New York Times, "It feels like such a girl dinner because we do it when our boyfriends aren't around and we don't have to have what's a 'typical dinner' — essentially, with a protein and a veggie and a starch."