Maple Grove Council Tables Plans for Popeyes at Dunkirk Square
Fans of fried chicken in Maple Grove will have to wait a while longer to see if the city council approves a new Popeyes.
Developers are proposing to construct a new Popeyes restaurant at the Dunkirk Square shopping center.
It would be located on the southwest side of the shopping center, in the parking lot near Becker Furniture World.
In earlier meetings, the Maple Grove City Council appeared poised to approve the plans for the restaurant.
However, after directing city staff members to prepare a motion to approve the restaurant in early October, the council reversed course and tabled the vote.
The council tabled the issue a second time on Dec. 4 due to concerns about traffic flow, particularly within the shopping center.
“The reason that we care about the circulation within the development is more so because we don’t want it to negatively impact [the city] once they leave the development,” said Maple Grove City Council Member Rachelle Johnson. “We care about those things because they do impact the city.”
When drivers encounter heavier traffic due to design issues, they “start doing risky behaviors,” Johnson said.
A representative of the developer said they were open to tabling discussion and coming back with solutions. The council will likely readdress the issue later this month or early in 2024.
