Joe Fontana opened Fry the Coop in November 2017 in Oak Lawn with a vision of opening 15 restaurants serving Nashville hot chicken in the next 10 years.
After launching Fry the Coop in Elmhurst in September 2018, at Wells Street Market in Chicago’s Loop in July and in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood in November, the next Fry the Coop and the first with a drive-through could open in April in Tinley Park.
Nashville hot chicken is coated with a dry rub after it gets out of the fryer, adding another layer of flavor, Fontana said.
“There are different spice rubs that go on your chicken depending on how hot you want it,” he said.
Here is the dish on Fry the Coop in Oak Lawn:
On the menu: The signature dish is the Nashville fried chicken sandwich, which is offered at five heat levels: country (“no heat”), mild (“taste the flavor”), medium (“feel the heat”), hot (“feel the burn”) and crazy (“call 911”).
After discovering what is called Southern California fried chicken at the San Diego location of the Crack Shack, which has a culinary team led by “Top Chef All-Stars” winner Richard Blais, Fontana became “obsessed” with making Nashville hot chicken at home.
Francisco Morales, of Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community, is the executive chef and director of operations for all Fry the Coop locations, where the chicken is breaded by hand daily and diners are encouraged to “come get your happiness.”
About the owner: “I bartended all through my 20s. I loved the hospitality aspect. It’s immediate gratification. Somebody sits down. You take care of them right away. You get to see them eat and drink. They’re smiling and laughing,” said Fontana, a former manager at the former Doc Ryan’s in Elmhurst.
Fontana left a job in corporate America to pursue his passion for food, earning an associate degree from Alchemy of the Hearth Culinary School in California and owning and operating Meatball Republic for nearly two years before launching Fry the Coop.
A philosophy: “Social interaction is being replaced by social media. One thing technology can never replace is sitting down with the people you love and enjoying a meal together. It’s really cool to provide a place of rejuvenation to the community,” Fontana said.
“After working hard all day long and all the stress in the world, they can just sit down, have a great meal with people they love for an inexpensive price and spend time with each other. We really pride ourselves on having a communal social place.”
Decor: “We have pictures all around of the history of Oak Lawn. We also have old kitchen utensils that are fastened to the wall. It’s reminiscent of a southern Nashville kind of life but here in Oak Lawn,” said Fontana about the restaurant that seats 38 indoors and another 12 on the patio during warmer weather.
Specialties: “The Nashville hot chicken in probably our No. 1 seller. Chicken and waffles are really popular. We have a special hot chicken and waffles. People really seem to love our tender plates as well,” said Fontana, who credited his wife, Carly Fontana, with coining the name Fry the Coop.
We’re different because: Rotating craft beer is available.
Prices: $2 for sides, $5.50 for tenders, $8 for sandwiches, and $14 for chicken and waffles.
Logistics: Fry the Coop is at 5128 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon-8 p.m. Sundays. Call 708-576-8645 or go to www.frythecoop.com.
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Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.