YORKVILLE – Nearly two years later, Popeye's has officially opened its long-awaited Yorkville location.

Cars lined around the new restaurant during one of the franchise's first days open on Wednesday, Sept. 9 near Route 47, just south of Kennedy Road.

Lynn Dubajic, economic development consultant for Yorkville, confirmed the restaurant was expected to open Wednesday or Thursday. She was not immediately available for additional comment Wednesday afternoon.

The update comes after Dubajic previously said during a Jan. 7 city economic development committee meeting the location of the new Popeye's was set to be on the plot of land between Millhurst Ale House and Rosati's by Route 47. Restaurant officials expected the Yorkville location to open this month.

The announcement for the new franchise was made in a memo ahead of a December 2018 city economic development committee meeting. The memo had said the fried chicken restaurant franchise was leasing the former Subway space plus additional square footage in the Fountain Village Shopping Center on the south side of town, and that it would include a drive-through window.

Dubajic previously clarified after a June 4, 2019 economic development committee meeting that Popeye's will not go where Subway used to be. She had said that franchisee wasn't able to obtain the location or execute a lease for that location because corporate wasn't on board with that arrangement.

• This story will be updated as more information becomes available.