(Updated at 2:45 p.m.) An eatery serving Nashville-style hot chicken appears to be coming to Ballston.
Hangry Joe’s, a growing chicken sandwich restaurant chain, has applied for a license to serve beer, wine and mixed beverages at 875 N. Randolph Street, in the former Laura Cooks space.
No active construction permits could be found for the address on the county website, but the company says that it’s hoping to open next month.
“The expected opening date is early December,” a Hangry Joe’s rep tells ARLnow via email.
While in the midst of large office and apartment buildings, the restaurant space is a bit off the beaten path in Ballston, a block away from Wilson Blvd and 2+ blocks from the Metro station.
On its website, Hangry Joe’s touts its “secret chicken recipe” as a key to its success.
Derek Cha, who had founded the Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt in 2009 and other various concepts, with the [collaboration] with his partner, Mike Kim, comes up with the best chicken sandwich in town by bringing forth the Nashville style chicken sandwich.
After visiting many successful [Nashville] style chicken restaurant in LA, Nashville, and San [Francisco], we could successfully develop our secret chicken recipe to have the most juicy and crispy sandwich.
The expanding fast-casual franchise has existing locations in Alexandria, Fairfax County, and Loudoun County. It also lists locations currently open in or coming to Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, California, Dubai, South Korea and the UK.
Hangry Joe’s will compete with Hot Lola’s, an existing “Sichuan X Nashville” spicy chicken stall that opened in the Ballston Quarter mall food hall in 2019.