| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual |
| Founded | April 2014 |
| Founder | Joe DeLoss |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 7 (2022) |
Key people | Gregg Majewski |
| Owner | Craveworthy Brands |
| Website | hotchickentakeover |
Hot Chicken Takeover or HCT: Southern Chicken is an American fast casual fried chicken restaurant chain in Columbus, Ohio that specializes in Nashville hot chicken.
History
[edit]Founder Joe DeLoss started the company after visiting Nashville, Tennessee and being introduced to the local specialty hot chicken in 2013.[1] The company was initially founded as a pop-up restaurant in April 2014,[2] before launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter later that year to fund the purchase of a food truck.[3]
In 2021, the restaurant chain was acquired by Untamed Brands. Untamed Brands was taken over by Craveworthy Brands in May 2024.[4]
In October 2024, Craveworthy Brands CEO, Gregg Majewski, announced they would be combining their Chicago-based chain The Budlong Southern Chicken, into the Hot Chicken Takeover concept, under the name HCT: Southern Chicken. Columbus-area locations will keep the Hot Chicken Takeover name. Along with the announcement, a new menu was unveiled that included chicken-fried steak, hushpuppies, cornbread and sweet tea.[5]
The company received significant media coverage for its stated mission of being a fair chance employer that provides job opportunities to formerly incarcerated people who are reentering the workforce and other individuals who are not otherwise able to find work.[6][7] In 2016, over 70% of Hot Chicken Takeover employees were formerly incarcerated or formerly affected by homelessness.[8] Founder Joe DeLoss has stated that workers with former criminal histories are better and more reliable employees than others, and that the company employs anyone with "an orientation towards personal growth and a willingness to respond to coaching".[9]
The company also provides various free professional development initiatives for its employees such as financial literacy training and private personal counseling,[2] as well as emergency 0% payday loans or cash support so that employees are not at risk of predatory lenders.[10]
Locations
[edit]
As of April 2018[update], Hot Chicken Takeover has three locations in Columbus, Ohio. The first location is in the historic North Market building in downtown Columbus, the second is located in the Clintonville neighborhood and the newest location is at Easton Gateway in Easton Town Center. The company also continues to own a food truck, which has previously been voted "Best Food Truck in Columbus" by the readers of local news blog Columbus Underground in 2015 and 2016.[11] In 2019, they made their Cleveland area debut, opening a new location at Crocker Park in the western suburb of Westlake.
Joe DeLoss announced plans in a 2016 interview to expand via franchising.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Wood, Urquhart (April 7, 2016). "How one chicken restaurant is disrupting fast casual". Columbus Business First. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Lagatta, Eric (July 5, 2016). "Ex-offenders work hard, reward restaurants that hire them". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- ^ Tavoletti, Molly (October 13, 2014). "How One Man's Ohio Pop-Up Restaurant Is Bringing The Nashville Heat To The Midwest". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "Craveworthy acquires Untamed Brands in US". Yahoo Finance. 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ Rees, David (October 21, 2024). "Hot Chicken Takeover launches new menu after merge with other brand". NBC4i.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Rogers, Kate (August 30, 2016). "This Midwestern city is a rising star for entrepreneurs". CNBC. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "Rach Surprises Columbus Restaurateur Who Hires Hard-to-Employ Workers". Rachael Ray Show. March 10, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ Sterenberg, Mary (July 1, 2016). "Hot Chicken Takeover Is Restoring Promise". Columbus CEO. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ Held, Lisa (July 11, 2016). "How the Food Industry is Providing Second Chances to the Formerly Incarcerated". Civil Eats. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "Our Mission". Hot Chicken Takeover. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ Evans, Walker (2016-08-15). "Hot Chicken Takeover Named Best Food Truck of 2016". Columbus Underground. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ Eaton, Dan (June 23, 2016). "Hot Chicken Takeover's Joe DeLoss on getting investors, scouting expansion sites, and the F-word (franchising)". Columbus Business First. Retrieved October 20, 2016.