Cortez’s newest restaurant, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, aims to open around the start of summer after facing setbacks because of winter weather.

Anthony Josephson, CEO and owner of JS Foods, which is the owner of the new Popeyes, said he hopes to know within the next month when the restaurant might open. He said he plans to open in in May or June, depending on the weather between now and then.

“We’re making really good progress,” Josephson said. “Unfortunately, the winter weather has been pretty brutal. We were supposed to have been completed already, but we got set back several months.

Josephson’s company, based in California, owns nine Popeyes restaurants in New Mexico and six others that are under construction, including the Popeyes in Cortez. JS Foods owns Burger Kings and Popeyes in California, New Mexico and Colorado, and has owned the Burger King in Cortez for 30 years.

“We’re very familiar with the town, and when we were given the rights to develop Popeyes in New Mexico and Southern Colorado, it was the obvious choice for us to eventually build and develop a Popeyes in Cortez,” Josephson said. “We spent quite a bit of time trying to find the right property, and we’re excited to open in the next few months.”

Josephson said the company most likely would not hold an official grand opening for the restaurant.

“We don’t usually have to do a big grand opening. It pretty much opens itself,” he said.

While the store has a few more months until it opens its doors to patrons, Josephson noted that they will begin hiring team members in the next month or so. They are hoping to add 50 to 60 individuals to their team.

“We’ve been in Cortez obviously for a long time. We’re very fortunate to be able to grow in the city, and this is part of our growth plan out there,” Josephson said.