Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The signature sandwich at Chicken Out
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
If the line out the door at Chicken Out on the Delmar Loop was any indication, it was only a matter of time before the fast-casual, pressure-fried chicken sandwich concept shifted into full expansion mode.
Sure enough, the second location is slated to open this summer at 10463 Manchester in Kirkwood.
“The chicken sandwich market is highly competitive,” says Ben Hillman with Lewis & Clark Capital, who owns and operates the concept alongside restaurateur Charlie Downs and chef Mike Johnson, the duo behind other restaurant concepts including Sugarfire Smoke House, Sugarfire Pie, Hi-Pointe Drive-In, and Cyrano’s Café. "It's exciting to be able to bring our spin."
Photo by Julia Calleo
Charlie Downs, Mike Johnson, Ben Hillman
The spin to which Hillman refers was the creation of Johnson, a longtime fine-dining chef who transitioned into the fast-casual segment. After sampling chicken sandwiches from across the nation, Johnson concluded that there was "something lacking" and began experimenting.
Photo by Julia Calleo
The Spicy Chicken Out—pressure-fried Nashville-style chicken with pickles and hot sauce mayo on a potato bun.
Chicken Out distinguishes itself by offering brined, battered, and broasted (pressure-fried) chicken served with pickle chips and Duke’s mayo on a Martin’s potato bun. (It's the same bun that acclaimed restaurateur Danny Meyer chose for Shake Shack.) Alternate sandwich options include the Cheep and Cheddar, Mo Parm Mo Foul, and two grilled items, The Fit Chick and the Chicken Club. Chicken strips and three salads (all containing chicken) round out the menu.
Whimsical touches and bright colors are part of the Chicken Out brand, as evidenced by the Delmar Loop's homage to a favorite son, the late Chuck Berry.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Say hello to Cluck Berry
The menu at the Kirkwood location will be the same as the flagship, and new items will be added to the menu in the same way. “Our group has always taken a no-holds-barred approach to creativity with menu specials,” Hillman says. “When a special resonates, it will either reappear from time to time or become part of the restaurant's standard menu.”
One difference between the locations will be the service method; the Loop location has a pickup window, while the Kirkwood location will feature drive-thru service. “Having a drive-thru was a proven advantage long before COVID,” says Hillman. “Now, they’ve become gold.”
The 2,500-square-foot restaurant will seat 40, with additional seats on the patio—another amenity that’s risen in importance this year. “We spend a lot of money on landscaping and curb appeal,” Hillman notes.
Hillman says construction is underway on the building, part of a new center being developed by Nolan Real Estate. The same team responsible for Chicken Out’s flagship—including Kaemmerlen Facility Solutions, Ford Hotel Supply, and Hello And—will assist with the new location. LaRon Richard, general manager at the Delmar Loop location, will play the same role in Kirkwood.
Photo by George Mahe
The Kirkwood location of Chicken Out will occupy an end cap in a new retail center just breaking ground in Kirkwood.
The second Chicken Out location is part of a longterm growth plan, Hillman says, “for bringing better fried chicken sandwiches to the rest of Missouri and beyond.” The group hopes to open 10 locations across the metro area during the next five years, beginning with another in St. Charles—which, he hints, “could happen later this year."
