Courtesy of Hot Chicken Takeover
Hot Chicken Takeover was founded in 2014 and has continued to live up to its prophetic name ever since.
The beloved Columbus-based business opened its latest store on Nov. 10 in Lewis Center.
The store opened to much fanfare, with celebratory decorations and a giveaway wheel featuring items such as free meals and T-shirts. Some items matched the color scheme of nearby Olentangy Schools District, which is something Alex Franklin, head of marketing for Hot Chicken Takeover, says is one way the company connects with its communities.
Franklin is excited to serve the close-knit community of Lewis Center.
Courtesy of Hot Chicken Takeover
“It’s a great mix of the schools, strong residential community, and also the retail community and the retail workers, so that’s a great mix in terms of providing an opportunity,” she says. “I’m really seeing that. I mean, we’ve got the fire crew out front last night, we had 500 students and their families come in for a fundraiser that we had. It was popping out Friday.”
The next location in the pipeline is Grandview Heights, which they will be opening this winter, Franklin says.
“It’s a kind of young, vibrant, energetic, more central community who are equally as excited for us to open there.”
Though there are plans for more local locations, the company doesn’t have plans for nationwide expansion right now. However, Franklin says that they still have much potential to tap into within our state’s borders.
“We feel like we’re Ohio’s very own and there’s a huge opportunity within Ohio,” she says.
The Midwest is at the core of the company’s identity according to Franklin. She says the combination of Midwest hospitality with the flavors of Nashville chicken is a major part of why they have succeeded and connected with so many people.
“It’s a really big part of Hot Chicken Takeover is the relationship we have with our customers,” she says. “Already we have been open an hour and we have met so many people from the community and there’s been people that have come in, whether it’s from the fire crew, or workers from Home Depot, and we know them by name. I’ve started to meet people’s families and their parents. It’s about positively contributing and being a part of the community.”
Hot Chicken Takeover’s hiring practices have also been recognized nationwide thanks to their non-discriminatory “Fair Chance” program.
“We provide meaningful employment opportunities to everyone who wants to work, whether they’ve had issues with incarceration, addiction, homelessness,” she says. “Employees have the chance to grow with the company. So they may come in at a role, and then be able to grow all the way up the ladder.”
Courtesy of Hot Chicken Takeover
When you head out to this new location, be sure to try the fried pickles. They are a Lewis Center exclusive and Franklin says the chef worked on the recipe for months to ensure that it met the company’s high standards and fit perfectly with the tightly curated menu.
Hot Chicken Takeover is always closely reading feedback, and fried pickles were at the top of the requests list for a long time.
“It is our gift to the Powell community,” Franklin says.
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback is welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
