Chiktopia to hatch first location at intu Lakeside
The fried and grilled ‘better chicken’ concept is led by former Ole & Steen UK operation director Alastair Gordon, and advised by a group of senior industry figures including Dan Einzig, founder of Mystery Design, Mark Lilley, CEO of Abokado and Richard Morris, managing director of Tortilla.
The site will be located in the middle of the new scheme and seat around 120 covers, trading Monday to Sunday, breakfast till late. A full menu is not yet available, but the brand says it will serve up fried or grilled chicken burgers and tenders alongside skinny fries, salads, wraps and thick dairy shakes.
There will also be some vegetarian and vegan options and the menu and has been designed to work equally well for eat-in, take-away, the fast-growing delivery market and drive-thru.
Chiktopia says it is on a mission to marry outstanding taste with the latest technology to offer good value food. The restaurant will be a ‘counter-less restaurant environment’. with 100% kiosk and app ordering, which it says will give customers the best possible user experience.
The chicken sector is booming with a number of fledgling brands looking to challenge the dominance of KFC and Nando’s. Newish brands currently expanding in the space include Thunderbird, Bird, Slim Chickens and Chick ‘n’ Sours spin-off CHIK’N.
