‘Top Chef’ Alum Endorses Chickery Chain’s Move from Dupont to Northern Virginia

Canadian chain the Chickery, which last year called in Top Chef alum and fellow Canuck Spike Mendelsohn to refresh its menu, has closed its location in Dupont Circle (1300 Connecticut Avenue NW) in order to try its luck further west.

“We are looking to relocate the Dupont location to suburban Virginia and we’re currently scouting sites in Fairfax County,” Chickery CEO Kert Gennings tells Eater.

The high cost to call Connecticut Avenue home likely didn’t help.

“Stores there have to do massive volumes to pay their rent,” says Mendelsohn, who remains involved with the company. “Suburbia is where I thought [Chickery] belonged.”

Dupont has seen several closures in the past year, including homegrown Red Apron Butcher Bar and sandwich chain Capriotti’s. Five-year-old DGS Delicatessen recently announced that is closing February 11.

Last fall the Chickery tacked on later hours and funky bites designed for drunk people, including a chicken-filled waffle cone.

Mendelsohn’s family of local restaurants includes Mexican-themed Santa Rosa Taqueria, gourmet burger shop Good Stuff Eatery, and pie-slinging We, The Pizza. He intends to stay on with the expansion-minded Chickery; a franchise location just opened in Dubai and another is projected to open in California later this month.

He’s also got a lot of local projects on his plate, having just opened Morris, the new sibling to existing cocktail den the Sheppard. Next up: a to-be-named restaurant opening inside the sports-friendly St. James complex later this year and a We, The Pizza that’ll join a long list of eateries at the new Ballston Quarter project. Another is destined for Clearwater, Fla. this year, he adds.