Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Copeland had a humble beginning with his family living at one point in the St. Thomas public housing project [REF].
While Copeland never completed high school, he used his wealth to benefit education programs, including establishing the Alvin C. Copeland Endowed Chair of Franchising at Louisiana State University, providing funding for the Delgado Community College chef apprentice program, and supporting the National Food Service Institute [REF].