Henry Fletcher stands in front of his forthcoming eatery, Hank's Fried Chicken, at 105 N. Robinson St. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
For the past five years, Henry Fletcher’s day-to-day life has revolved around fried chicken. He’s logged tens of thousands of miles behind the wheel of his food truck venture, 1115 Mobile Kitchen, parking around the city and hauling the vehicle to music festivals as far away as Florida. After years of chasing crowds, he’s bringing the chicken to the Fan, where anyone can be served — no wristband required.
This fall, at 105 N. Robinson St., Fletcher will open Hank’s Fried Chicken, a brick-and-mortar spinoff of his food truck offering both traditional and vegan fare. The name is a nod to his late grandmother, who always called him Hank, and whose all-are-welcome spirit lives on in Fletcher.
Known as Nani, she was a do-what-you-please matriarch who balanced a wild demeanor with an open-door policy and a fully stocked pantry. She encouraged Fletcher’s love of skateboarding, always making sure he got to the skatepark and, most importantly, that he had a full belly.
“I couldn’t visit her without being completely overstuffed,” Fletcher says, laughing. “She always had a home-cooked meal every night. Before we’d come over, she’d ask what we wanted to eat and make sure it was there. That’s the energy I want to embody at Hank’s.”
A frequent presence on the festival and concert circuit, Fletcher found a natural way to merge his love of food and music into one business, feeding crowds at Allianz Amphiteater at Riverfront and Brown’s Island and at festivals outside Richmond from EDC to Mondegreen. But while the truck was born from his own experience of limited food options at such events, the music-driven model came with a drawback.
“We’ve become harder and harder to get to,” he says. “You’ve got to buy a $100 ticket to a show to come see us sometimes. If we’re gone at a festival all week, forget about it.”
Last year, Fletcher began searching for a permanent home for his business, the next step in his vision of expansion. He turned to his customers, polling them on social media about where they’d like to see the truck land, and the Fan quickly emerged as a favorite. “When we walked into [the space on] Robinson, [the staff] was like, ‘Yeah, I can see it. This makes sense,’” Fletcher says. “A lot of what we’re going to be doing relies on how comfortable they’re going to be in the space.”
That sense of comfort matters to Fletcher and to his crew. The laid-back, down-home vibe of the business is intentional, especially for the staff, who he says are “integral,” handling everything from brining chicken to mixing breading and building sandwiches.
“They’re the ones making sure every batch is right — seasoned, cooked properly, stored correctly,” he says. “I want this space to reflect them as much as it reflects me. I want them to feel proud of where they work. They are the lifeblood of everything that we do; it would be insane to not have their input every step of the way.”
Hank’s will also serve as a prep kitchen for the food truck, streamlining operations and allowing for an expansion of catering service, all under one roof.
“I needed a place that could be a home kitchen for the truck while also serving people who’ve had trouble finding us,” Fletcher says. He recalls fans showing up to ticketed events without realizing they needed to pay for entry. His solution? Taking orders and running them to the gate himself. “It happens at almost every show,” he says.
Before launching 1115 Mobile Kitchen, Fletcher spent five years at Best Buy, honing the customer service-focused mindset he now brings to his own business. A naturally persistent worker, he realized he could channel that same work ethic and service-first approach into his own venture. When the store furloughed him during the COVID-19 pandemic, the timing to make a move felt almost serendipitous.
“Honestly, I was dreaming up this idea. And then everyone’s at home, and I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time to kick this into gear,’” Fletcher says.
While stuck inside, he spent his time in the kitchen, cooking up fried chicken for friends and family. He also worked aboard different food trucks and slowly shaped his idea into reality. “And I thought, ‘So all right, I think I can try my hand at this.’”
Now, Hank’s will bring the spirit of the nomadic business to a permanent space. The menu will be a reflection of the food truck’s, along with additional items including apps and sides. Patrons can expect fried chicken sandwiches such as the Texas Beach, featuring chipotle mayo, pickled red onions, lettuce and pickles; the OG, with garlic-basil mayo; and the Chicken Bacon Ranch. Nearly the entire menu will also be available in vegan form — a plant-based pillar of the business since day one — and each month will bring a new special.
Fletcher mentions potential specials including Caesar fries, a bed of fries topped with Caesar dressing, a heavy dose of Parmesan and chives; banana hushpuppies with jalapenos and scallions; macaroni gratin, a seared mac and cheese with bucatini pasta; and a few salad options. For dessert, there will be vinegar pie, corn pie and a rotating dessert. Hank’s will have a kids’ menu, and the opening will mark a transition to chicken tenders instead of nuggets, an effort to ensure quality control.
“We’re trying to keep prices as affordable as we can, while also making almost everything in-house and paying our staff a living wage,” he says.
Fletcher describes his vision for the space as a country-style gas station/dive bar — and add a skate shop in the mix. “We’re trying to make it a really comfortable, cozy vibe, a little eclectic, a kiss of urban street culture, with skateboarding graffiti.”
Hank’s will have a pint-sized bar program featuring a few signature cocktails, with much of the focus on rail drinks and mainstream beers.
The vision for the food truck has always been the same: Create a welcoming meal, be a familiar face and serve as a beacon when people pull up to an event. Soon, they’ll be able to pull up to Hank’s instead.
“It feels good to finally have a place to call home,” Fletcher says. “That’s the energy I want to bring to Hank’s. And it’s my homage to my grandmother, using the name she always called me.”
Hank’s Fried Chicken will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the possibility of late-night hours. They plan to offer a discount for nearby Retreat Doctors’ Hospital workers.
