Ontario restaurant has people obsessing over its fried chicken
An Ontario restaurant is going viral as people obsess over its fried chicken.
It's no secret that fried chicken is having a real moment on social media. Folks can easily pull in over a million views on TikTok posting a Raising Cane's or Wingstop review — but it's not just U.S.-based chains that are making a mark on the landscape.
BTRMLK, a London, Ontario-based fried chicken restaurant that now has two locations in the city has been taking the internet by storm with photos and videos of their crispy fried chicken strips, ample bowls of dipping sauce and creamy mac n' cheese.
Founded by a pair of Western graduates and real-life couple, Shad and Monia, BTRMLK is totally taking off — and that's thanks in no small part to growing followings on TikTok and Instagram.
"We are grateful for the support and the loyal fan base," Shad tells theGentries, noting that the business' online presence "grew naturally and organically," not unlike how the business itself developed over time.
BTRMLK had humble beginnings, Shad says, starting in 2018 as a personal project for him to experiment in emulating the fried chicken sandwiches he'd tried in other cities.
Armed with a counter top fryer in his parents' garage, Shad began making chicken for friends and family, which quickly expanded to hosting BTRMLK's first online pop-up — at Monia's encouragement — virtually during lockdowns in April of 2020.
"The hype started to snowball" from there, Shad tells theGentries, and the first brick and mortar location of BTRMLK opened its doors in March of 2021.
"People were lining up all day and we were selling out frequently," Shad tells theGentries, admitting that it was almost impossible to keep up with demand in the early days.
Needless to say, they overcame, opening their second brick and mortar this past March — and, thanks in no small part to Monia's prowess managing the restaurant's social media — they've served a slew of patrons travelling from out of town to sample the chicken.
As for when Toronto residents will be able to chomp down on some of Shad and Monia's crispy chicken, Shad tells theGentries that they're "looking into" expanding into the city in the future.
"Toronto and the GTA have always on our radar when considering expansion plans," Shad says. "Of course, we started in our home city of London, Ontario, but as we reach more people, the requests for coming to Toronto are growing."
Until then, you can take a quick road trip to London to try out BTRMLK at their 275 Wharncliffe Road North and 1305 Riverbend Road locations.
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