The latest restaurant chain to come into the Fairfield County market is Haven Hot Chicken, a quick service endeavor that serves Nashville-style hot chicken. According to co-founder Jason Sobocinski, the chain was created during a conversation at a business trip in the country music capital.
“We had been to Nashville together, down for a beer conference,” said Sobocinski, referring to a discussion he had with co-founder Etkin Tekin. “We met up over some hot chicken, and he was like, ”˜I know you love hot chicken, and I”™d like to bring you on to this team.”™”
As a self-defined “serial entrepreneur,” Sobocinski has been involved with various eateries in Connecticut, including Crispy Melty, Olmo Kitchen and Bear”™s Brewery. Sobocinski joined Tetkin with Craig Sklar, Rob Latronica and Tom Sobocinski in opening the first Haven Hot Chicken location in New Haven in October 2020, which was followed up last June with a restaurant in Orange. A third restaurant is planned for Norwalk in December.
Having come into existence during the pandemic, the New Haven location is takeout and delivery order only, though the Orange restaurant features indoor dining, and the Norwalk location is set to do so as well.
Haven”™s selection of Nashville-inspired chicken sets it apart from most other chicken restaurants in Fairfield County. “THE Sandwich” has proved to be its most popular offering, being made of boneless chicken breast, vinegar slaw, garlic-dill pickle and Rob Sauce, all on a toasted Martin”™s potato bun.
Despite its name, the restaurant is accommodating for those sensitive to spicy food, allowing guests to choose how spicy their chicken will come out from a selection of five heat levels, beginning with the non-spicy “Country” level and ranging all the way up to the very spicy “Haven” level which is described as being “for the hot head.”
Beyond merely serving chicken that is spicy, the Haven team strive to bring to the area premium-quality halal chicken sans growth hormones or antibiotics. The chicken menu items are prepared quickly and efficiently, though it still takes several days to prepare. But the effort and quality control are much appreciated by Haven Hot Chicken”™s guests.
“You go into our Yelp page, we”™ve got some really good feedback,” Sobocinski said. “”˜Crispy, crunchy, spicy, juicy, delicious”™ ”” those words were used over and over and over again in our feedback, and so now they”™re kind of a mantra for us.”
The care put into their offerings as well as the doubling of prices for halal chicken since 2020 have come at a cost reflected on the menu, a fact Sobocinski does not shy away from.
“We”™re not going to ever skimp on quality of products,” he said. “We make it work, and it”™s reflected on our prices, but we feel that our quality is worth it ”” expensive, but worth it.”
Another reason for the high prices is because of the business”™ goal of paying its well-trained staff with a highly satisfactory wage, according to Sobocinski, which in turn incentivizes stellar job performance.
“We are constantly looking for talent to fill in for our team and add to it,” Sobocinski said. “That”™s probably one of our biggest struggles, is always looking to bring in more people who really care.”
Haven Hot Chicken also aims to help the community through philanthropic endeavors. The business”™ latest charitable effort is a partnership with Wallingford-based Connecticut Foodshare.
“I reached out to Connecticut Foodshare because I figured we were feeding people, and in 2022, to be fed, to have food, that in my mind is a right, it”™s not a privilege,” Sobocinski said. “Everyone should have food. There should be no one in Connecticut or anywhere, frankly, that”™s going hungry for any reason at all.”
Connecticut Foodshare”™s mission is to see that the hundreds of thousands who would otherwise go hungry receive a healthy, nutritious meal and not merely processed canned food.
“The old style of doing a food drive and getting canned donations is not really what they”™re looking for anymore,” Sobocinski said. “They”™re actually buying fresh produce, they”™re getting fresh meats, they”™re getting high-quality food.” Currently, Connecticut Foodshare is able to accomplish this at 50 cents per meal.
Sobocinski and the team seized the opportunity to aid Connecticut Foodshare with its mission by donating one dollar for every purchase of a “Banana Puddin”™” off the Haven Hot Chicken menu beginning September, which is also Hunger Action Month. The strategy has the added effect of boosting awareness of the restaurant”™s dessert item as well.
“I have no qualms in being transparent that this partnership with Connecticut Foodshare is about raising money to buy food so we can feed Connecticut residents in need, but it”™s also about getting the word out there about Haven Hot Chicken and what we do and who we are,” Sobocinski said. “Marketing through philanthropy is a wonderful thing, and I wish all businesses would jump on that because spending money on traditional marketing is effective, but it doesn”™t necessarily make the community that we work in, live in and serve any better. So, I think this is a plus-plus for everyone.”
