Chicago’s appreciation for the fiery qualities of Nashville hot chicken continues as Hattie B’s Hot Chicken has announced that it will open its first Chicago location later this year or early next year just steps away from Wrigley Field at Gallagher Way, taking over the space formerly occupied by Foxtrot . In an announcement on Friday, March 28, Hattie B’s shared that it will open at 3649 N. Clark Street at Gallagher Way in a 3,265 square-foot space that includes a 515-square-foot patio, with seating for up to 70 indoors and another 55 outside. Gallagher Way is the plaza in front of the Friendly Confines, a development from Hickory Street Capital — a venture of the team’s owners, the Ricketts Family. This isn’t the first time Hattie B’s landed in Chicago. In 2019, the hot chicken icon popped up at Dove’s Luncheonette for one day in Wicker Park to the delight of Chicagoans eager for a chance to sample one of Music City’s most popular culinary attractions. Hattie B’s launched as a family-owned operation in Nashville in 2012 and quickly became one of the most well-recognized hot chicken establishments to hit the scene. The growing chain now has seven Tennessee locations — including five in Nashville alone — as well as locations in Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Dallas; Birmingham, Alabama; and Las Vegas. The white-hot rise in the popularity of Nashville chicken has scorched the nation over the generations. The lore begins with Thornton Prince in the 1930s, according to a 2017 in-depth feature in Eater , after a jilted lover prepared an incredibly spicy plate of fried chicken cooked with eye-watering cayenne peppers in an act of revenge after he stayed out late one night. Turned out that he loved the spicy dish, and after the two split up, Prince set out to recreate the recipe, eventually opening the late-night spot Prince’s BBQ Chicken Shack in the then-predominantly Black Nashville neighborhood Hadley Park, with the hot chicken serving as the star of the menu. Since then, newer generations of Nashvillians have worked to preserve the city’s legacy in hot chicken. In 2007, a hot chicken festival launched in Music City, helping to raise the profile of chains like Hattie B’s, which credits the event for helping to broaden hot chicken’s mass appeal. In Chicago, Hattie B’s joins the ranks of other Nashville hot chicken-inspired eateries, including the 2016 launch of Jared Leonard’s Budlong, followed by Fry the Coop in 2017, founded by Joe Fontana in 2017 in suburban Oak Lawn. Both restaurants boast multiple locations throughout the Chicago area. In 2021, Chicago’s first location for the celebrity-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its doors in North Center. The announcement comes a week after the Chicago White Sox announced a partnership with David Chang’s Fuku, a New York chain known for its fried chicken. Sandwiches and tenders will be available at Rate Field . Chicago’s baseball rivalry appears to be spilling over to poultry. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken , 3649 N. Clark Street at Gallaghet Way, planned for a late 2025 or early 2026 opening.
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