Chicken Head's

03/08/2026

"Where We At"

03/08/2026

"They Just Don't Know"

What 3 years in the Lab (aka 1122 E Dorothy Lane) produced.

More soon!

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

In the Spirit of Inclusion...

They said bring one sandwich to the CEO Big Bite challenge…

We brought the Medusa.

That felt fair. 😎🍗

03/07/2026

When the CEO Big Bite Challenge is trending…
but you’re still dreaming about the Medusa.

Dayton knows. 😏🍗

03/06/2026

Progress doesn’t always happen in public.

After opening the building up during demolition, the next phase became redesigning the space for what North Main Street can become.

Production.

Partnership.

Opportunity.

Step by step, the vision continues to take shape.

Projects like this move forward through strong partnerships and shared belief in Dayton’s future.

03/04/2026

"Witness"

Some people see the building.

Some see the headlines.

Some see the noise.

But my sons see everything.

They see the early mornings.

They see the long nights.

They see the pressure.

They see me stand back up when it would be easier to sit down.

I’m not just building a restaurant.

I’m building proof.

Proof that setbacks don’t define you.

Proof that discipline outlasts doubt.

Proof that resilience is learned by watching it in action.

The cameras may be documenting the journey…but my real accountability is at home.

Every move I make is teaching them what persistence looks like.

Rebuilding on multiple levels.

And we’re just getting started.

03/04/2026

"Behind Closed Doors"

One thing many redevelopment projects require is seeing the building as it really is.

"Out with the old"

Before new plans could move forward at North Main Street, we had to complete interior demolition and cleanup to understand the structure, utilities, and what was actually possible inside the space.

Only after opening the building up could we design the new production layout now planned for the site.

Sometimes progress looks like demolition.
But demolition is often where vision becomes reality.

03/02/2026

"A LIteral Documentary"

Over the past several years, the redevelopment journey on North Main Street has become part of something larger.

An independent documentary project is following not only this work, but several entrepreneurs navigating the realities of building, redevelopment, and long-term investment in Dayton.

The cameras have captured the planning meetings.

The demolition and clean out phases.

The production experiments.

The pivots.

The persistence.

Redevelopment is rarely understood in real time.

But this journey is being documented step by step.

Some projects are simply businesses.

Others become case studies in resilience, capital, and community transformation.

We’re honored to be part of a story that reaches beyond one address.

More when the time is right.

03/01/2026

"What If?"

Over the past few conversations about North Main Street, many people have talked about restaurants and redevelopment.
But there’s a bigger question.

"What if North Main Street produced things again?"

Not just storefronts.
Not just traffic.
But products made in Dayton.

For several years, Chicken Head’s has been quietly building toward:
• Beverage production
• Coffee roasting
• Packaged food products
• Shared kitchen space for growing brands

The vision was never just reopening.
It was creating opportunity.
Because Dayton has never lacked talent.
Sometimes it just needs space to grow!

More soon!

02/28/2026

“Best Made Plans”

In 2018, the City of Dayton adopted the North Main Street Corridor Plan, a community-driven roadmap designed to guide investment, redevelopment, and economic renewal along this historic corridor.

That plan called for:
✅ New business investment
✅ Revitalization of vacant properties
✅ Safer neighborhoods
✅ Economic opportunity
✅ Public-private partnership

Chicken Head's didn’t invent this vision.

We answered it.

Since that plan was adopted, our team has invested more than $500,000 in working toward redeveloping property along North Main Street, aligned directly with the goals the City itself established years ago.

We believed in the plan.

We still do.

Because redevelopment is never easy, especially for small local businesses working to compete alongside national corporations, outside investment groups, and systems that often move on longer institutional timelines.

But progress still requires someone willing to begin.
So since we are talking about timelines...
How far along are we, collectively, in implementing the North Main Street Corridor Plan adopted in 2018?

Because redevelopment does not begin with documents.
It begins when someone is willing to risk real capital, real time, and real belief in a neighborhood’s future.

Chicken Head’s chose to do that.

We are still here.

Still committed.

Still working toward the future North Main Street was promised.
And we welcome community partners, residents, and leaders who want to see this corridor finally move from plan to progress.

Dayton deserves to see its plans succeed.

11/09/2025

Dayton family — we need your help! 🙏🏽

Chicken Head's has been nominated for Best Fast Casual Restaurant in this year’s Best of Dayton Awards! 🏆

We’re proud to represent the city with A Simple Menu, Fast Service, and Delicious Food — and this recognition means so much to our entire team. Every vote counts, and your support could help us take home this win!

💛 Vote here:
👉 https://cincymagazine.secondstreetapp.com/2025-Best-of-Dayton-/gallery/505237936

Please vote DAILY until 11/30!
Thank you!!

2024 Best of the North