Are you willing to camp out for hot chicken? Like, really good, Nashville-style hot chicken from a well-known Louisville restaurateur? How about a year's worth of that hot chicken? Soon, your foodie mettle and your commitment to the bird that burns will be tested.
"The biggest Louisville food trend at the moment has to be Nashville-style hot chicken." Allison Myers, of Eat Love Louisville, says. "It's popping up on everyone's menus. A couple local restaurants will be opening soon - one from Michael Crouch of Bistro 1860 and one from Tony Palombino, of BoomBozz. I hear Ryan Rogers from Feast BBQ is working on a concept as well." Rogers' hot chicken concept will be called Royals Hot Chicken, and is expected to open in Nulu this fall. Tony Palombino's Joella's Hot Chicken is set to open at 3400 Frankfort Avenue on September 1st.
This is where the "free hot chicken for a year" comes in. According to the press release announcing their opening, Joella's will give away "a one-year supply of free Joella’s Hot Chicken (52 coupons)" to "be awarded to each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, The line can begin forming up to 24 hours prior to the opening, with the prizes being given away on September 1st between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m." That's a lot of free chicken - 6k+ in free meals according to the same press release - and a brilliant marketing scheme that will promise Joella's Hot Chicken an opening buzz.
Joella's will not just serve hot chicken, but also traditional fried chicken, wings and tenders. Sides like black eyed pea salad, kale crunch salad and garlic fries will be made fresh in house. Joella's will also be equipped with a Boylen's fountain soda machine which will serve small batch cane sugar sodas in unexpected flavors like "Birch Beer" and "Cane Cola."
You can like Joella's Hot Chicken on Facebook here, follow their Twitter, or double-tap their Instagram. Their grand opening is September 1, 2015 at 3400 Frankfort Avenue at 8 a.m. But remember - the "hot chicken hopeful" line opens up 24 hours earlier. Will you be camping out for hot chicken?
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.com/Maiia Vysotska. Images within article courtesy of Joella's Hot Chicken unless otherwise noted in caption.
