Flamin Feathers is preparing to open a new location at 132 London Road in Delaware, Ohio, with the restaurant under construction and targeting a mid-December opening, co-founder Ishrat Ilyas said.
Ilyas told What Now Columbus that permitting delayed the project, but construction is now underway and the team is on track for a December opening, pending final approvals.
The Delaware location will be operated by a franchisee, Mohammed Ibrahim, while Ilyas remains the brand owner. Ilyas said the franchisee lives locally, while he is based in New Jersey.
The new restaurant is entering a market that Ilyas said the company has been watching closely. Flamin Feathers already has a presence in the Columbus area through other restaurants, and Ilyas said the Delaware market’s growth and demand helped make the location appealing.
“We do like the Columbus market a lot,” Ilyas said, noting that the area has expanded rapidly in recent years.
The Delaware restaurant is also a new chapter for the brand in Ohio following the closure of a previous Flamin Feathers location in Lewis Center. According to Ilyas, that location closed several months after opening because of building-related issues, including fire hazards. The Delaware location is intended to bring the concept back to the area.
Ilyas said the Delaware location was chosen in part because the area lacked the type of independent, fresh-food concept Flamin Feathers offers. He said the restaurant does not use frozen ingredients and has received requests from customers to open in the community.
The restaurant will feature a country-inspired design that Ilyas described as having a Nashville feel. The concept will also operate with late hours, with a grand opening planned that will include free sandwiches for guests.
On the menu, customers can expect Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, Wagyu beef burgers, chicken wings, hot chicken tacos, shakes and the restaurant’s signature waffle chicken sandwich. Ilyas said the Delaware location will maintain the brand’s existing menu rather than introduce a separate menu for the market.
“We have a very distinct menu,” Ilyas said, pointing to the combination of wings, burgers, waffle chicken sandwiches and hot chicken as one of the things that distinguishes Flamin Feathers from other hot chicken concepts.
The restaurant will also offer halal meat. Ilyas explained that the halal designation relates to how the animal is slaughtered and said the concept is intended to appeal to a broad customer base.
Beyond the food, Ilyas said the company is placing significant emphasis on the restaurant’s atmosphere and design. He described it as a high-quality sit-down restaurant rather than simply another fast-casual hot chicken shop, with the aesthetics and ambiance forming an important part of the concept.
The Delaware location is expected to initially employ approximately 10 people, including kitchen and front-of-house staff.
Ilyas said he is particularly excited to introduce the brand to a growing community and bring something different to the local restaurant scene.
“We want everybody to try our food, and we’re very excited, you know, to open there,” Ilyas said.
Flamin Feathers’ Ohio expansion will not stop with Delaware. Ilyas confirmed that another location is currently under construction in downtown Cincinnati, with the company targeting a mid- to late-November opening. He said the Cincinnati restaurant could open before the Delaware location.
For the Delaware opening, Ilyas encouraged residents to watch for the grand-opening announcement, which is expected to include free chicken sandwiches and other promotional activities.
Dining and Cooking