Two Nottingham Trent students win a year’s supply of chicken

Kuba and Alex queued for 11 hours to win the prize


Two Nottingham Trent University students won a year’s supply of free chicken from fast food chain Popeyes.

On Saturday 1st October Nottingham’s newest fast food restaurant, Popeye’s, opened on Upper Parliament Street, taking over the former Burger King site.

The American fried chicken chain is set to open several more sites across the UK soon, bringing its signature spicy chicken sandwiches to England. Those at the front of the queue for the opening of Nottingham’s store won free chicken for the year.

Kuba Okroj and Alex Kelt queuing for Popeye’s opening

Housemates and third year psychology students, Kuba Okroj, 20, and Alex Kelt, 20, were two of the winners of a years worth of chicken from Popeye’s. The pair found out about the prize after searching for the store’s opening date and decided to eagerly queue from midnight on 30th September to ensure they would win.

Kuba and Alex were the first in the queue, followed by a third person who arrived at around 2.30am. Kuba claimed that it started to get busy at around 8am and “the queue was packed” by the time the store was due to open at 11am.

First three people in the queue

The pair queued for approximately 11 hours, probably one of the most British things to do, sitting on a picnic blanket through the night, watching much of Nottingham’s nightlife pass by. Alex told us that it was a night to remember, even if it did lead to developing a cold, I guess that’s the risk you have to take for free chicken.

The prize is for three chicken sandwiches a week for 52 weeks so will save the pair nearly £1000. Alex told us he was “really pleased” with winning as “it is a convenient lunch when at uni and will help [him] financially”.

They have both made the most of the prize and taken three trips to the store in the first week, both claiming that the cajun fries are the best they have had ever and that they definitely recommend the spicy chicken sandwich.

So FYI, if you get an Alex or Kuba offering to take you on a first date to Popeye’s, just know that they aren’t pushing the boat out and it’s just a freebie.

Related articles recommended by this author:

• Clubbers of the Week: Say cheese for week three

 Introducing Clubbers of the Week: our favourite photos from your Notts nights out

• 10 lessons you’ll learn as a Notts student in your first semester