As summer fades and the familiar dread of the start of a new week sets in, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has stepped up with a new 'Sunday Scaries' menu designed to help ease that transition back to the weekday grind. From kids dreading another long week at school, to adults steeling themselves for another week at work, Popeyes aims to make Sundays a little less stress-inducing with their deep-fried offerings.

The Sunday Scaries menu will be available from August 18 to September 8 at participating Popeyes locations across the nation. All you need to do is make a purchase of $10 or more either online or via the Popeyes app and in return, the lucky customer receives a complimentary chicken sandwich. The offer is available for both pick-up or delivery orders, provided customers make the order using a registered Popeyes account.

The chicken chain took a light-hearted jab at their competitors with this promotion, explicitly highlighting that unlike other chains, they are open on Sundays with a "little comfort to Sunday Scaries - in the form of fried chicken." It's clear that Popeyes wants to render themselves as the 'go-to' chicken chain for Sundays, playfully sniping at Chick-fil-A - their primary competition.

It is well known that Chick-fil-A, owing to its Christian ownership, has been closed on Sundays since its inception in 1946, to observe the Christian Sabbath. Despite being closed 52 days in a year (not including Christmas and Thanksgiving), Chick-fil-A remains the third largest fast food chain in America by sales. On the other hand, Popeyes is seated at the 15th position, between Sonic Drive-In and KFC. This move by Popeyes to make the most of the Sunday business that Chick-fil-A overlooks can thus, be understood.

Another exciting news from Popeyes this summer is the plan to make its restaurant operations more efficient. Introducing automation in the chicken battering process, modifying the kitchen layout, and incorporating technology that can streamline the handling of digital orders are a few upgrades in the pipeline. The ultimate goal is to ensure that ordering at Popeyes is a smoother and more consistent experience for everyone, regardless of what day of the week it is.