Hot chicken's busy week
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Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish. Photo: Brad Schmitt/The Tennessean/USA Today Network
It was an eventful week for the hot chicken scene, with one mainstay facing a precarious future following the sale of its property and another finally reopening at a new location.
Why it matters: Like the rest of Nashville's restaurant industry, hot chicken is in a state of upheaval.
- Upstarts are popping up across the area, while standard-bearers like Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish confront the redevelopment pressure that has already forced several mom-and-pop restaurants to close.
Driving the news: The Main Street property home to Bolton's — one of the city's longest-operating hot chicken joints — sold for $1 million. The restaurant will continue operating in its beloved East Nashville location, but its long-term future remains unknown.
- In a Facebook post Wednesday, Bolton's Dollye Matthews wrote, "We do not know the status of Bolton's at this address. It may stay or it may not."
- Bolton's second location on Bell Road in Antioch, though, continues humming along.
Meanwhile, Pepperfire Hot Chicken opened its new location in the Nations more than a year after it closed its East Nashville store.
- At its new spot, Pepperfire is offering carryout and delivery options.
- They just opened this week, but there was already a line waiting outside at lunchtime yesterday.
💠Adam's thought bubble: I must admit that I am not a hot chicken fan, but Nate convinced me to try the new Pepperfire location.
- I got the "trainin' wheels" level of spice. While the title bruised my ego a bit, the heat felt just about right for a spice-averse novice.
- With that being said, I was not converted. Next time, I'll focus on the restaurant's extensive list of side dishes.