As the restaurant industry continues to reel from the effects of COVID-19, more and more restaurant owners are coming up with new ways to boost revenue. Jim Gregory — owner of both Morning Story locations in Denver and Arvada — just launched a new concept out of his current restaurants. The new concept — called Saucy Chix — serves fried chicken for takeout and delivery only in order to utilize the Morning Story kitchen after its breakfast and lunch service ends.
Photo by Leigh Baldwin of B Public Relations
Gregory has been in the restaurant industry since 1992 and broke into the breakfast and lunch category in 2006 by franchising two The Egg & I locations. He purchased both locations about five years ago and rebranded as Morning Story. Gregory began formulating the idea for a takeout and delivery option last fall. The idea was to utilize the kitchen space at Morning Story once the restaurant was closed in the early afternoon to make the most of the space. After the pandemic began, Gregory realized he needed to do this out of necessity. “We had to do something to survive and we couldn’t do that with the constraints of limiting guests,” he said. “It was a leap for us to get into the evening service but it gives us an entry into the delivery space where we weren’t really prominent before.”
Saucy Chix is only open for takeout and delivery and offers several versions of fried chicken, sides, desserts and house-made sauces. The classic fried chicken sandwich is dubbed Chix on a Bun ($12.99) and consists of breaded chicken breast, cheddar cheese, lettuce tomato, pickles and your choice of sauce on a potato bun. The Swaddled Chix ($12.99) includes breaded chicken tenderloin, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce and buttermilk ranch wrapped in a spinach tortilla and can also be ordered spicy with buffalo sauce. On the healthier side, Saucy Chix offers two simple salads topped with chicken — fried or grilled — with your choice of dressing. “We want to start to build a reputation for being well priced and high quality in the takeout and delivery space,” said Gregory.
As restaurants continue to reimagine their existing business models, there will likely be more concepts like Saucy Chix emerging into the dining scene. Next time you’re in need of a quick dinner, check out the offerings at both Saucy Chix locations in Denver and Arvada for some crispy fried chicken and make sure to treat yourself with some banana pudding.
Saucy Chix is located at 8025 Sheridan Blvd, Arvada and 560 S Holly St, Denver. Open Sunday – Saturday 4 – 10 p.m.