Foster’s Grille, the 21-year-old homegrown chain known for its juicy, half-pound charburgers, has launched a delivery-only ghost kitchen chicken restaurant at its Vienna, Virginia, location.
Chicken Frenzy, whose menu includes a variety of chicken sandwiches, chicken salads, wraps, wings and chicken fingers priced between about $8 and $10, opened Monday. There are also hand-scooped shakes and desserts.
It is initially focusing deliveries just in the immediate Vienna area, within 5 miles of downtown Vienna, though expansion plans will follow across Northern Virginia.
Ghost kitchen is a term that refers to restaurants, either open or closed, using their restaurant’s kitchen or someone else’s to prepare meals solely for takeout and/or delivery.
“We launched the concept knowing the consumer is still hesitant about eating indoors at any type of restaurant and wanted to create a concept with other offerings for them to choose from,” Mike Cerny, president of Foster’s Grille and Foster’s Franchise Concepts LLC, told WTOP.
“In addition, with the loss of office workers due to COVID in the area and outdoor seating nonexistent in the cold weather, restaurants have been negatively impacted and have to create other means for generating revenue,” Cerny said.
Chicken Frenzy’s signature sandwich is a chicken breast, fried or grilled, served with slaw, adobo sauce and pickles. It’s $7.95.
Foster’s Grille has 10 locations, both company-owned and franchised, in Northern Virginia, and one location in Florida.
Despite the hit to the restaurant industry from the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, Cerny still has plans for more expansion, both company-owned and franchised, and said he is actively looking at potential locations.
