A new spot for chicken fingers, wings sets an opening in the Columbia area. Here’s when
The latest installation of a growing chicken finger franchise is about to come home to roost in the Columbia area.
Slim Chickens, which has a presence nationwide, will open its new store at 2089 N. Beltline Blvd. in Forest Acres on March 18, according to company officials. The new Slim Chickens is on a site that was formerly home to a Golden Chick restaurant.
Slim Chickens has a growing profile in the Columbia area. It opened a location at 7544 Garners Ferry Road in 2022, and it is building a store at 456 Killian Road near Interstate 77. The company was founded in Arkansas and expanded across the U.S. in recent years. There are nearly 260 locations nationwide, according to data site ScrapeHero.
The opening of the latest Slim Chickens is another example of the changing face of the corridor near North Beltline and Forest Drive. The nearby Richland Mall is set to be demolished, and the site in coming years will undergo a massive, $100 million overhaul to make way for new shops, residences, a grocery store, a public park and more.
The Columbia Slim Chickens locations are being ushered in by Charlotte-based franchisee Break Bread Ventures. Director of marketing Reid Hodges said the group is looking forward to the March 18 opening in Forest Acres.
“We are excited, this is our second location in the Columbia market,” Hodges told The State. “This one will be a little bit closer in to the city. Part of the reason we picked that site in Forest Acres specifically is the proximity to A.C. Flora High School, and there is the site where the whole mall is being torn down and redeveloped. We’ll be near all of that new development, as well.”
The Slim Chickens menu reveals a host of offerings, including chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more. The restaurant also touts a number of side items, such as mac and cheese, fried okra, fried pickles, fried mushrooms, ranch chips and more. It also carries sweet treats, such as milkshakes and brownies.
“We do a really good job with our chicken,” Hodges said. “Our kind of go-to meals are our tender meals. We nail it on the chicken every time. We also have a lot of fun sides, and everything is made fresh, in-house. We try to go for a Southern hospitality feel, as far as the guest experience. And a big thing for a lot of customers is the sauces. We have 17 different sauces, a wide variety to choose from.”
