By Shawn Lalehzarian, CEO and Founder of The Red Chickz
As new food trends rapidly emerge, there are only a few timeless concepts that will survive in the restaurant industry. So far this year, we have seen trends including more plant-based foods, food fusions, and global cuisines. Wanting to dive into the restaurant industry with a concept that will withstand the test of time, I knew I had to combine both my extensive experience in the food and beverage industry and thorough market research to create something truly unique.
When exploring concepts for my new restaurant, I noticed tastes in my home community of Los Angeles were shifting. Equipped with 20 years of experience growing major food and beverage brands such as Wolfgang Puck, Starbucks, and Chili’s and thorough research, I came across Nashville Hot Chicken and immediately knew I could innovate it. Wanting to bring a truly authentic experience to the West Coast, my team and I flew to Nashville and asked everyone we came across including Uber drivers and hotel bellmen if they had a homemade hot chicken recipe they could share. After learning from locals and visiting a hot chicken restaurant to fully immerse ourselves in this concept, we developed our own unique recipe and later opened our first The Red Chickz location in Downtown Los Angeles.
Recently, a crowded Nashville Hot Chicken scene has emerged across the country as the concept has proven to appeal to more communities. More and more restaurants are introducing their own take on the dish, indicating that many believe the Nashville Hot Chicken craze is not just another trend, but rather a new staple in American cuisine. As part of this demand stems from social media, I’m certain that this tool has helped Nashville Hot Chicken expand into new markets. Through platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, our brand has amassed over 1.1 million combined followers, with many expressing their wish for us to open in their hometowns.
While Nashville Hot Chicken might seem like a simple dish at first glance, flavor and heat can create endless combinations that appeal to a wide range of taste buds. This is evident through The Red Chickz’ menu, which features creations such as the Original Chickz Sandwich, Chickz n’ Waffle, and Chickz Tacos. All of these twists on the classic Nashville Hot Chicken serve are made with all natural, hormone and antibiotic-free chicken in order to have the best quality and freshest tasting dishes. Because we want everyone to be able to enjoy Nashville Hot Chicken, we have added menu options that cater to more dietary needs. For example, we recently introduced Nashville Hot Cauliflower as a vegetarian option and halal chicken is now the standard at each location. Our spin on Nashville Hot Chicken and continuous innovation has truly cemented the Southern favorite as a timeless concept, motivating us to continue expanding nationwide.
For more information about The Red Chickz, please visit https://www.theredchickz.com. To learn more about their franchise opportunity, go to https://theredchickzfranchise.com.