Cooks, entrepreneurs and new parents Mike and Sarah Moore will fill the former Sticky To Go Go space with fried chicken, vegan treats and a neighborhood market this spring. (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
Things are heating up in The Fan, or at least in Mike and Sarah Moore's fry basket. By the end of the month, the owners of Mean Bird food truck hope to open the doors of 2227 W. Main St. and share their permanent Mean Bird home, slinging fried chicken, fried vegan "chicken," house-made limeade, sides and a few surprises.
"[With] the truck we had kind of found ourselves reaching the limits of what we could do, as far as going to big events, and as much as we could prep and store on the truck," says Sarah. "We decided that this space was so big, and we're so stoked about it — it was the perfect space for us and what we needed." That space, former home of Sticky To Go Go, includes roughly 1,200 square feet that fit a small market, limited counter seating, and of course a large kitchen, which will help the husband-and-wife team serve an expanded menu daily, grow their catering business and prep for some of the city's biggest food events such as GWAR B-Q and the Richmond Vegetarian Festival.
The takeout operation will echo the food truck's menu: a focus on fried foods, with locally sourced, seasonal sides and dishes such as fried green tomatoes, and watermelon salad with thyme. But the big news is the buckets, which the pair launched at the start of their business, but were so popular that they couldn't keep up with orders in the limited space of a mobile kitchen. At Mean Bird's brick-and-mortar restaurant, you'll be able to order 12-piece buckets of both chicken and vegan "chicken" — a blend of deep-fried chickpeas, bulgur, mushroom powder, barley, fresh carrots, onions, celery, peas and brown rice — with family-style sides like broccoli slaw, fries and biscuits.
Other additions include more frequent fresh seafood specials — think oysters and fried sugar toads — plus wings in a variety of house-made sauces and street food-style fried chicken parts. "We kind of collected all the favorites from the truck, and then added all the stuff we wish we could have sold on the truck, like gizzards and hearts," says Mike. "We kind of want to stay true to the street food aspect, where people can come in and get a couple gizzards and go."
They'll also install a pellet-ice machine, perfect for the soda fountain and house-made limeade you'll also find there. And what's more, you can find all of this seven days a week: The pair's goal is lunch and dinner daily, with hours as late as 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. They're also looking into delivery options.
In the market, expect local products, including Mean Bird's own pickles and hot sauces available for retail, but it won't be precious and bespoke; here, the name of the game is fun. "We also wanna sell a lot of garbage stuff: Cheetos and Nerd Rope. We want you to really be able to embarrass yourself in here," Mike says.
"Yeah, we want you to be able to fulfill your most shameful food desires," Sarah adds, laughing.
Find bottles of wine and beer to go, with pairing suggestions for chocolate, gummy candy, Doritos, Cheetos and other chips, which will hang on a large and well-stocked rack near the register.
"But we're always gonna be a chicken place, number one," Mike says. "I'd say of our set menu, we're about 90 percent chicken." The other 10 percent? You'll see for yourself soon enough, but we're guessing the remainder is fun.
Mean Bird's first brick-and-mortar spot is expected to open in the Fan at 2227 W. Main St. within the next few weeks, serving lunch and dinner daily. Stay tuned to the company's Facebook page and Instagram account for opening announcements.
Correction: Mean Bird will be located at 2227 W. Main St., and not 2232 W. Main St., as this post earlier stated. The piece has been updated to reflect this.
