How Crispy Express, the fried chicken sandwich business that has been operating as a pop-up since 2019, is finally ready to make its brick-and-mortar debut.
Located at 71 Georgia Avenue in Summerhill, How Crispy is set to open on Monday, Jan. 24 after several pandemic-related delays.
The restaurant is a joint venture from chef Will Silbernagel and mixologist Greg Best, who’s also a partner in Krog Street Market restaurant Ticonderoga Club.
Silbernagel, who previously worked at Bookhouse Pub and ran pop-up Bookie Macarons, developed the sandwich, which AJC food writer Wendell Brock described in a 2021 article as “otherworldly, and deeply satisfying.”
Silbernagel had plenty of unexpected time during the pandemic to perfect the five sandwiches on How Crispy’s menu: The Classic, Lemon Pepper Wet, Honey Boy and Tikka Boy, plus the vegetarian Veggie Boy fried chickpea sandwich.
“It’s been a wild couple of years,” Silbernagel said. “We’ve used the extra time to dial in a lot of the recipes and try them in the new space and with the new equipment. We were able to build the brand and work out a lot of the kinks.”
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
Rounding out the menu offerings are a salad, chicken “nugs” and sides including mac and cheese and collard greens. Coca-Cola Cake and buffalo chicken dip will also be available as grab-and-go items, and beer and wine will be available once How Crispy gets its liquor license.
Focused on takeout business, the 750-square-foot counter-service restaurant will offer stool seating at drink rails for about 10, as well as an outdoor patio.
How Crispy Express will join several other food and beverage concepts in Carter’s Summerhill development including Maepole, Wood’s Chapel BBQ, Junior’s Pizza, Halfway Crooks Beer, Little Tart Bakery and Big Softie. Expected to open in the area by the end of 2022 are an unnamed restaurant from chef Duane Nutter, Hodgepodge Coffeehouse, D Boca N Boca, Redacted and Press Start.
Opening hours will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, with new hours to come soon.
After How Crispy Express opens, Silbernagel and Best will turn their attention to sister concept How Crispy, which is set to start selling buckets of fried chicken by the end of the year at 235 Mitchell St. in the South Downtown development.
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