Popeyes

Popeyes – Absolute NNN Investment Opportunity
Rock Hill, SC MSA | Charlotte Regional Growth Market | Passive Income | Freestanding Drive-Thru

This offering presents a rare opportunity to acquire a freestanding, single-tenant Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant located in the heart of the Rock Hill, South Carolina metropolitan area, part of the broader Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA. The property is leased under a long-term absolute triple-net (NNN) structure, offering fully passive income, no landlord responsibilities, scheduled rent escalations, and the strength of a nationally recognized quick-service restaurant tenant.

Strategically located on a high-traffic commercial corridor with access to regional employers, education hubs, and dense residential communities, this property combines stable cash flow with strong market fundamentals and long-term upside potential.

Tenant Overview – Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Popeyes is one of the most recognizable brands in the fast-food sector, with a proven model built around bold flavors, operational efficiency, and massive brand loyalty. The company has experienced significant national growth in recent years, driven by successful menu innovation, market expansion, and an iconic fried chicken product line that commands strong consumer demand.

As one of the nation’s top chicken-focused QSR chains, Popeyes has outperformed competitors in both urban and suburban markets. Their drive-thru-focused real estate strategy aligns with post-pandemic consumer habits, making properties like this a top choice for net lease investors.

The lease structure on this location is absolute NNN, placing full responsibility for taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, roof, structure, and common area upkeep on the tenant. Scheduled rent escalations every five years provide reliable income growth and hedge against inflation.

Lease Highlights

• Lease Type: Absolute NNN (tenant responsible for all expenses)
• Initial Term: 15–20 years
• Renewal Options: Multiple 5-year options
• Rent Escalations: Fixed every 5 years (typically 7–10%)
• Landlord Responsibility: None
• Investment Type: Passive income, long-term yield, inflation-protected

This lease profile creates consistent and predictable returns for buyers, making it ideal for investors focused on yield stability, low operational risk, and long-term capital preservation.

Market Overview – Rock Hill MSA

Rock Hill is a fast-growing economic and residential hub within the Charlotte metropolitan region. Located in the northern part of South Carolina, this city has evolved into a key suburb for the greater Charlotte area due to its strong infrastructure, business-friendly climate, affordable housing, and continued commercial development.

Rock Hill benefits from a diversified economic base that includes education, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and public-sector employment. Key institutions include regional universities, hospitals, and manufacturing facilities that serve as major employment drivers. The area is also home to large-scale retail centers, medical campuses, and civic buildings, providing strong daytime traffic and population engagement.

Residential growth continues to outpace regional projections, driven by new housing developments, master-planned communities, and improved access to surrounding employment corridors. This demographic expansion supports long-term demand for convenience-focused dining options like Popeyes.

Site Characteristics – High-Traffic Commercial Corridor

The Popeyes property is positioned along one of the city’s primary commercial corridors, offering excellent visibility and accessibility. This freestanding location benefits from high daily traffic counts and is situated in a well-established retail trade area surrounded by national co-tenants and strong regional retailers.

Key attributes include:

• Freestanding pad site with signalized corner access
• Dual-lane drive-thru with efficient stacking capacity
• Ample parking and convenient ingress/egress
• Prominent building and pylon signage
• Located near major arterial routes and densely populated residential areas

The immediate trade area features a healthy mix of national brands, including grocery chains, discount retailers, pharmacies, financial institutions, and automotive services. This creates a synergistic retail environment that draws steady customer traffic throughout the day.

Demographics & Consumer Base

The surrounding population is composed of families, professionals, university students, healthcare workers, and retirees. The area supports a stable and growing residential base with median household incomes trending in the mid-to-upper range for the region. Population within a 3-to-5-mile radius continues to increase due to housing expansion and economic migration into the Charlotte metro.

Key demographic features:

• Total population within 5 miles exceeds 70,000 residents
• Median household incomes are favorable and continue to rise
• Area exhibits strong consumer demand for fast-casual dining
• Daytime population fueled by nearby universities, hospitals, retail centers, and municipal buildings

The consistent demand drivers and robust consumer mix support long-term QSR performance and minimize vacancy or leasing risk.

Rent Escalation & Income Growth

The lease includes built-in rent increases every five years, which strengthen the asset’s long-term income trajectory and protect the investor’s purchasing power from inflation. These escalations are typically structured in the 7–10% range and provide a reliable step-up in annual net operating income (NOI).

Combined with the tenant’s full responsibility for expenses, the property delivers a pure net income stream with no owner obligations or financial exposure—creating a true “set-it-and-forget-it” investment vehicle.

Strategic Positioning – Charlotte MSA Spillover Market

Rock Hill benefits greatly from its location within the economic orbit of Charlotte, one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing metros. This positioning allows Rock Hill to attract companies, residents, and institutions seeking affordability, space, and proximity to a major urban center.

Regional growth drivers include:

• Expanding infrastructure and transportation networks
• Influx of corporations and job seekers relocating to the Charlotte region
• Population inflows from the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast
• Strong housing demand and continuous new construction activity
• Favorable tax climate and pro-growth municipal governance

Rock Hill serves as a strategic extension of this broader growth ecosystem and is expected to remain a key beneficiary of regional investment for years to come.

Investment Highlights

• Freestanding Popeyes drive-thru in a major Charlotte-area suburb
• Long-term absolute NNN lease – zero landlord responsibilities
• Scheduled rent escalations every five years
• High-traffic corridor location with excellent access and co-tenancy
• Dense residential and commercial trade area
• Strong regional economic fundamentals and continued population growth
• Passive, inflation-protected cash flow
• Ideal for 1031 exchange, family office, or REIT acquisition
• Institutional-quality lease structure with durable income stream

Conclusion

This Popeyes property offers investors a rare blend of location, credit, lease security, and long-term income potential. Backed by one of the top-performing QSR brands in the country, the site’s absolute NNN lease structure eliminates operational risk and delivers stable, inflation-resistant returns over the life of the investment.

Positioned in a growing regional market with access to one of the most dynamic urban economies in the Southeast, the asset checks all the boxes for investors seeking long-term passive income, attractive yield, and high-quality tenancy. With increasing demand for net-leased QSR investments in strong secondary markets, this Popeyes is expected to generate competitive buyer interest.

For full lease details, investment package, and next steps, please reach out directly. Opportunities with this combination of location strength, tenant credit, and income simplicity are limited and move quickly.