Megan Thee Stallion becomes Popeyes Franchisee in New ‘Hottie Sauce’ Deal
Megan Thee Stallion is the hottest southern rapper out right now so when it comes to brand collaborations it only made sense that she rep for the south.
Her new collaboration with Popeyes is doing just that. The Houston rapper is launching her Hottie Sauce with Popeyes on Tuesday, October 19. She is the latest rapper to land a deal with a fast-food restaurant, but this may be the most well-rounded deal we’ve seen yet. Through this partnership, Megan is launching her own Popeyes product, co-branded merchandise, making a charitable donation, and becoming a restaurateur.
That’s right, Megan Thee Stallion pulled a Rick Ross move and signed a deal as a Popeyes franchisee. She will soon be popping up with her very own Popeyes restaurants. She made the announcement via a teaser video on Instagram but hasn’t shared where the restaurants would be located. One could guess Houston. This is a big deal because Popeyes is beloved by the Black community but when it comes to ownership it's a quiet conversation. I can only hope this opens the door for more Black entrepreneurs to franchise restaurants that serve as staples in Black communities.
The video is a western-inspired short film teaser featuring Megan’s alter ego Tina Snow as the bandit, stealing her Hottie Sauce, and Megan chasing it from her hometown of Houston to Popeyes’ hometown of New Orleans to secure her sauce. I hope they drop a full film because this could be an entertaining story especially executed in the anime style Meg loves. In the video, she announces the release of the Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce. The sauce can be added to the famed chicken sandwich or as a stand-alone dipping sauce for the new chicken nuggets. This will mark the first time the fast-food chain has released a new variation on its chicken sandwich. Megan was reportedly heavily involved in the creation of the sauce to reflect her essence. (Update: After succumbing to marketing and trying the sauce this is definitely a rebrand of Popeyes' Sweet Heat sauce.)
These days no good deal partnership is complete without a co-branded merch line and this one is made for the hotties. The merch will feature three exclusive releases, with the first collection, Thee Heat, dropping at 12PM EDT on October 19th at TheeHottieSauce.com. Three Heat will include bikinis, long sleeve shirts, hats, tumblers, and Popeyes chicken tenders plush dog toys. (Yes, I signed up like it was an Ivy Park drop.) All three collections were developed in tandem with creative agency Harper & Scott.
Megan Thee Stallion has established herself as a true philanthropist, so it was only right that she include a charitable aspect to her Popeyes deal. Popeyes will be matching the rapper in a six-figure donation to Houston Acts of Kindness. Houston Acts of Kindness is a charity “whose mission is to promote empathy and compassion while encouraging selfless concern for the welfare of others in the Houston community.”
“I’m appreciative of Popeyes' commitment to empowering Black women and look forward to opening Popeyes Restaurants,” said Megan Thee Stallion. “Teaming up with Popeyes is such a milestone in my journey and evolution as an entrepreneur. I’ve always been a fan of the Popeyes brand and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join the brand and help create the new Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce for their line-up.”
I love this collab. This is one of the rare brand collaborations where you can feel that the talent was involved or heavily inspired the creative. Megan Thee Stallion and Popeyes brands share similar values and those were leveraged for a great campaign. I can't wait for the drop and may even drop in for a few nuggets just to try the Hottie Sauce.
Press Release here. Check out her Epsidoe on Hot Ones:
Watch Meg hold her own as a true Texas Hottie should.