Credit: Hot Chicken Takeover
Hot Chicken Takeover started out modestly five years ago as a weekend-only pop-up on the near-east side of Columbus. The purveyor of Nashville-style fried chicken consistently drew long lines and habitually sold out. As winter approached, the tasty startup sought out a more hospitable home and found it in the underutilized second floor space of the North Market in Columbus. In 2015, they converted that extended-stay pop-up into a permanent engagement.

Folks who make the short trek upstairs at that bustling public market discover crispy fried wings, thighs, breasts and legs, offered with no heat, mild, hot and “holy.” Meals, including sandwiches, come with mac-and-cheese, coleslaw, bread and pickles. For dessert, there’s banana pudding.

Since launching, the company added outposts in Clintonville and at Easton Town Center north of town. Next up for the quickly growing brand is Greater Cleveland, specifically Crocker Park.

“When it came to selecting our first site outside Columbus, Cleveland was the obvious choice for all of us,” states founder Joe DeLoss. “We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the community and to deliver our mission: creating extraordinary experiences for extraordinary people.”

That “mission” also includes providing meaningful jobs, benefits and support services to people who might not find them elsewhere, including those with disabilities, criminal records, homelessness and other barriers to employment.

Look for Hot Chicken Takeover to take flight sometime this summer.

This article appears in Feb 20-26, 2019.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.

3 replies on “Hot Chicken Takeover to Expand Brand from Columbus to Cleveland”

  2. Wassamatta witchoo, fried-chicken hater…never been to Popeye’s? YUM! How about Barberton? Best chicken anywhere can be found at the Village Inn.

    If you really hate fried-chicken that much, it just means more for the likes of me. Why? Because…racist city-hating pigs like you won’t touch it. Whatever you like to eat, I hope you choke on it.

  3. Obviously, something nasty was reported and deleted here. If the reply includes “racist city-hating pigs like you”, it was probably some sort of snark about criminals who are from Cleveland.

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