A person extolling the virtues of $2 protein shakes at Popeye’s confused people confusing it with the better-known Popeyes.
TikTok creator Gab (@gabybraganza) posted a video on July 10 praising Canadian nutrition chain Popeye’s Supplements for offering a $2 shake special on Tuesdays. It has since generated more than 465,000 views. By including the #popeyes tag in the post, she may have confused viewers who thought she was referencing the American fried chicken chain instead.
“Maybe I’m the only person that didn’t know this,” she begins her short clip, “but Popeye’s has $2 protein shakes on Tuesdays, so cheers.”
She then adds, helpfully, “I got the caramel fudge.” In her caption, she writes, “Ok usually i am a protein shake hater BUT the caramel fudge slaps and for TWO DOLLARS in this economy??? Run.”
Since when has there been another Popeye’s?
According to its website, “In 1989 Canada’s Popeye’s Supplements Canada was the very first sports nutrition retail outlet in Canada. TODAY, it is Canada’s largest sports nutrition retailer with Over 100 Locations coast to coast!”
It continues, “Popeye’s Supplements Canada’s exceptional growth and success rate throughout these years can be attributed to extreme hard work, but also servicing customers’ needs by offering optimum results and solutions with superior service, accurate information, real knowledge, the best of the best in products on the market, and incredible value for their hard earned money with the LOWEST PRICES IN CANADA GUARANTEED!”
Is there really a $2 deal?
While Popeye’s doesn’t uniformly advertise the $2 Tuesday shake deal on its site, one commenter to Gab’s video claimed, “It’s the Popeyes locations only in British Columbia and Quebec.” Another store in Saskatoon offered a Free Shake Friday contingent on buying at least $50 worth of supplements. That store also offered the $2 Tuesday shake, billing it as “Toonie Tuesday,” though that deal dates back to 2018.
@gabybraganza Ok usually i am a protein shake hater BUT the caramel fudge slaps and for TWO DOLLARS in this economy??? Run #popeyes #proteinshake #proteingoals #vancouver #musttry #fittok ♬ original sound – gab
The idea of a $2 shake crossover at Popeyes—launched in a New Orleans suburb in 1972, initially as Chicken on the Run—tickled some commenters.
“I’m about to go order a 4 piece dark meat protein shake,” one cracked.
Another similarly wondered, “Instructions unclear im with a box of 4 piece fried chicken.”
Someone else remarked, “I’m here now. The lady at cash is looking at me crazy. She said ‘we only sell chicken here sir’, what do I do next?”
Another queried, “Now why would more than one place be called popeyes?”
According to the Popeyes history page, the chicken chain is “named for Gene Hackman’s hard-boiled police detective Popeye Doyle from the 1971 film The French Connection.” On the other hand, Popeye’s Supplements nods to the spinach-swilling cartoon character that, according to Britannica, debuted in 1929.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Gab via TikTok direct message, Popeye’s Supplements via its contact form, and Popeyes via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
