Popeyes Provides 'Emotional Support Chickens' to Travelers

Can’t stand the turbulence? Grab a support bird!

By Ethan L. Johns
December 18, 2018

Image: Popeyes

Americans thought they had seen it all this year. People boarding planes with emotional support peacocks and emotional support squirrels… How far could our anxiety-ridden society go?

The trend now extends to broiler chickens, apparently, since the fried chicken chain Popeyes unveiled a deal on Tuesday morning offering an “Emotional Support Chicken” to travelers departing from Philadelphia International Airport’s Terminal C.

OK, so it’s not a real chicken. It’s a cleverly-shaped cardboard box that has a long neck and tail feathers. And it’s arriving in the airport just in time for the stressful holiday travelling season.

“We appreciate how comforting emotional support animals are and wanted to create our own version,” said the company’s chief marketing officer, Hope Diaz. “The good news is that our emotional support chicken is permitted to fly without any restrictions—one less worry for busy travelers!”

Phew! Thank goodness we won’t have to worry about our fragrant, fried chicken bothering other plane passengers!

The Emotional Support Chicken boxes contain a combo of three pieces of fried chicken tenders (#meta?), and will be available until the boxes run out. Worth making a detour? Well, it’s in an airport, so detours can be… illegal.


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About Ethan L. Johns

Ethan is the Food News Writer at Genius Kitchen. An expert on the Parisian bistrot, he likes bitters and salted butters, and is no fan of dessert unless it's made with fruit. His hobbies include reading up on the history of borscht and attempting to roll perfect couscous by hand. Twits & Instagram @EthanLJohns