Ex-Hixson Popeyes manager decries firing, says restaurant has issues

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Popeye’s location has been open in Hixson near Highway 153 and Hamill Road for just a few months. However, ex-manager Kellie Adkins says she was unfairly fired from the restaurant and says that the state of the establishment is not in a good place.

Adkins says she worked at the Hixson Popeyes from its opening late last year as a morning shift manager until this past week.

She said the experience was toxic with her bosses.

One example of the mess ex-Popeyes manager Kellie Adkins says is accumulating at the Hixson Popeyes. (Courtesy: Kellie Adkins)

“We approved for the closing to look like (expletive), and that is the exact words that he gave me,” Adkins said. 

She continued, “He would tell me that, “Well, y’all are just going to have to get along.” This is just too much drama. Every time I went to him it was drama. Or every time I asked him a question, or about a different day, it’s drama.”

She believes her firing had ulterior motives.

Adkins said, “I got a text from an employee, and she texted me, “Apparently, he told [name redacted] and the rest of the employees on Sunday that he was going to fire you when you come in on Monday.””

She also said the state of the restaurant was poor despite its recent opening.

She shared with us this video and pictures of how the restaurant looked like when she would come to open in the morning.

The video and pictures, taken over several weeks, show a lack of cleaning by night staff.

Adkins said, “Y’all got to learn y’all job just as well as me, and I said, “This lobby is a mess. People can’t come in here to this lobby like this.”… (Her boss) approved for the closing to look like (expletive), and that is the exact words that he gave me.”

She also believes that there are health concerns ongoing at the restaurant.

Adkins said, “They also have been keeping batter and telling us that we need to use the batter. In that batter, it has raw chicken in it. You cannot use raw chicken that has been put in a cooler.” 

She says that she is seeking legal counsel and has reported the issues to Popeye’s corporate and hopes the issues going forward are fixed.

Adkins said, “I was never wrote up or nothing, I just my spoke my opinion, and spoke how I feel about the situation, and I guess they just didn’t like it.”

We have reached out to Popeye’s management for comment on this story.

They have not responded to our inquiry.