Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, a fast-food chicken eatery with a Cajun and New Orleans flare, is expected to open the southern end of MacArthur Road.

Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. on Friday made public Popeyes is the restaurant that will occupy a vacant commercial site near Aldi's and Bottom Dollar.

Years ago, the site housed a Goodyear tire store and, before that, a Rax Restaurant and a Dairy Queen.

Township officials said the Popeyes franchise is in the initial stages of filing papers with the appropriate township agencies, such as the zoning, planning and development bureau.

The restaurant would be located on the east side of MacArthur Road.

The southern sector of MacArthur Road was the focus of a study performed by Urban Research & Development Corporation of Bethlehem. It looked at various options for this section of MacArthur Road, labeled as MacArthur Parkway.

Positive signs of a rebirth of the area include the opening of Bottom Dollar, 145 Griddle, a new structure at the former Hess Gas Station, the White Castle Restaurant and the massive bridge/ramp construction project at MacArthur Road and Route 22.