Where Are They Now: Philadelphia's "Chicken Man" rebrands
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Somehow, "T-Shirt Man" doesn't have the same ring. Photo: Courtesy of Alexander Tominsky
Alexander Tominsky, better known as "Chicken Man," became a cultural and culinary phenomenon last fall by chowing down on 40 rotisserie chickens in 40 days.
Flashback: The fowl feat elevated Tominksy to celebrity status in Philadelphia and provided him a platform and plenty of business opportunities to cash in off his newfound fame — or, in his words, pay off some credit card debt.
Yes, but: Tominsky tells Axios he declined most of those offers and has been trying to rebrand himself.
The intrigue: We recently spoke to Tominsky by phone while he was slinging T-shirts on the streets of South Philly as a funeral procession passed by.
- The irony was not lost on the 32-year-old, who wants to kill the chicken schtick that still looms large over everything he does.
What they're saying: "I'll always be that person to someone," he said in between interruptions from people coming up to introduce themselves. "I could exploit the s--t out of this thing for the rest of my life. That's just not something I care [to do]."
What's happening: Tominsky, who works as a waiter at Philly's Barclay Prime, still has that entrepreneurial hustle.
- Selling the tees — for $25 a pop — has become his side hustle as he finds his next chapter post-rotisserie roost.
The shirts say, "This is not a party," which he often uttered when describing his food stunt.
- They're meant as a joke when worn to events where you wouldn't expect someone to be wearing the shirt, like a divorce proceeding or a friend's party, Tominsky tells us.
The bottom line: When he's not selling shirts, Tominsky has taken joy in riding his recently purchased 1993 Virago Yamaha 750 motorcycle near FDR Park.
- He's only taken a single bite of a rotisserie chicken since his stunt — a favor to former Eagles defensive end Chris Long, who asked him to reappear a few months ago at the abandoned South Philly pier that vaulted him to fame.
"Without pain, there can be no comfort," Tominsky said.