After just a few months of operation, pop-up restaurant Fried Chicka Bang is already expanding. The delivery/pickup business opened at the end of September near Polaris Fashion Place and launches this week in the Arena District. Uniquely, the pop-up operates from within existing Sunny Street Cafe locations, selling fried chicken sandwiches at night after the breakfast spot has closed its doors in the early afternoon.
“We weren’t sure what to expect, but were hopeful since takeout options seemed to be doing well since everyone was staying at home,” stated Maria Swallie, one of the owners/operators of Fried Chicka Bang and Director of Off-Premise Business Development at Sunny Street Cafe. “We have been blown away by the support and amount of orders.”
The new Arena District location at 277 W. Nationwide Blvd. allows the delivery reach of Fried Chicka Bang to expand into Downtown Columbus and surrounding neighborhoods.
“We got a lot of messages from people wanting to try us out, but Polaris was too far out of the delivery zone,” explained Swallie. “Downtown has really been growing with all their new housing and development around the Crew Stadium.”
The streamlined menu at Fried Chicka Bang focuses mainly on chicken sandwiches, with a current lineup of nine selections in the $11 to $15 range, with various heat levels and toppings. Other menu items include salads, sides and drinks.
Swallie launched Fried Chicka Bang along with two of her sisters-in-law Megan Stasko and Meggan Stasko. The existing connection to Sunny Street Cafe allowed their entrepreneurial endeavor an opportunity for easy startup and rapid growth.
“It was an easy yes and an easy fit for us to get approval to use the Sunny Street Cafe space in the evenings,” said Swallie. “Sunny Street Cafe had already been looking for a way to host another business in the evenings since they are only open for breakfast and lunch. So moving forward we see ourselves using Sunny Street Cafes as our pop-up locations.”
A third Central Ohio location is already being explored for Fried Chika Bang. Sunny Street Cafe has additional locations in Blacklick, Upper Arlington, Grove City, Westerville and Dublin.
Current hours of operation for Fried Chicka Bang are Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.friedchickabang.com.
Bonus! Two minute Fried Chicka Bang video review by OGPickle: