Fried Chicken News

Nashville hot chicken chain closes 3 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth

This sandwich is still available in one location.

Photo courtesy of Hot Chicks

A local restaurant concept known for its combination of Nashville hot chicken and boozy slushies has shuttered: Hot Chicks Chicken has closed, after three years of operations in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Their final date was March 10. They shared news of the closure on Instagram, saying, “After 3+ years, a pandemic, record inflation and blood/sweat/tears, we have made the decision to close our doors."

The concept had three locations, in Dallas, Plano, and Fort Worth. All three are now closed.

Hot Chicks was a fast-casual restaurant from One Entertainment (Landmark Bar & Kitchen, Texas Republic, The Yard, Playground in Fort Worth; Theory Nightclub, Cutie Pies Pizza, Playground Bar in Uptown Dallas) that did scratch-made, Halal, dairy-free, peanut-free hot chicken, with heat levels varying from none to “Hot AF.”

The concept began as a pop-up in Fort Worth before opening its first permanent location in Plano in late 2020, followed by two more locations in 2021, in Dallas and in Fort Worth's Willow Park.

They arrived right on the cusp of the Nashville hot chicken trend - one that has since seen entries such as Hattie B's, Birdcall, Budlong, Rise Southern Biscuits & Chicken, Crimson Coward, The Cookshack, Sammy's Famous Chicken, Hangry Joe's, Palmer's, plus Lucky's which has already come and gone, with Guy Fieri's Chicken Guy! and possibly many more still to come.

That's a lot of hot chicken.

Meanwhile, those who still crave Hot Chicks are not being left out in the cold, says One Entertainment Principal Sam Sameni.

"We are still serving the Hot Chicks sandwich and tenders at our new Landmark location in Fort Worth," Sameni says. "Nashville hot chicken is a delicious food item but I don't think it can sustain an entire concept, unfortunately."

trends closings

Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings