A Huntsville couple plans to bring a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant to Athens next year.

Wendy Land said the fast food restaurant will be built at 1323 U.S. 72 East, on the lot between the Super 8 Express motel and Car Wash Express 2.

Athens and Limestone County residents currently have to go to Decatur or Madison if they want Popeyes, which specializes in fried chicken of all manners, shrimp and sides.

Land and her husband, Brian, publicly announced the project during the Athens City Council meeting Monday while officially asking the council to consider giving them a tax incentive.

She said they have so far invested $2.72 million in the project, including land, drainage and other costs. The couple owns a Papa John’s Pizza restaurant in Hazel Green.

After the meeting, Land said they wanted to bring Popeyes to Athens for basically two reasons.

“I love Popeye’s,” Land said. “If you like the food, you can sell the product,” she said. “Also, the closest Popeyes restaurants are in Decatur and Madison.”

She also has some family ties — her mother was born here and her father, Don Boozer, lives on Hine Street, she said.

Land said their Papa John’s restaurant has been a good business partner with the Hazel Green schools.

“We have worked with a lot of schools with extra-curricular activities, and we want to do that here,” Land said.

Possible incentive

Council President Joseph Cannon said after the meeting the Lands had requested an $80,000 rebate.

Mayor Ronnie Marks said after the meeting he and City Attorney Shane Black are drafting a proposed ordinance that would outline the amount and nature of any proposed incentive. The council would vote on whether to approve it.

Marks said the Lands came to city officials about six months ago with their plans to bring Popeyes to Athens.

Cannon said after the meeting that although he opposes retail abatements he would not stand in the way of the council’s decision.

He said he opposes retail abatements because “other (existing) restaurants took a chance to come here and made an investment and didn’t get a rebate or incentive.”

Unlike industrial incentives, retail incentives are new to this council and others. However, the council voted 4-1 in October 2015, with Cannon opposing, to give to Eastside Junction LLC, which would include Buffalo Wild Wings, all the city sales tax it generates for up to five years or until the city pays the maximum sum of $220,000 to the business.

The sales tax in Athens is 9 percent. The city receives a third of that, or 3 cents per dollar.