There's  No Reason Not to Make A
Chunk of Change With Chicken

You may think you know why the chicken crossed the road, but any bar or restaurant owner can tell you the real reason was to put money in their cash registers.
    Economical and versatile, chicken is a favorite ingredient in all types of cuisines and cultures. Whether it’s prepared as a simple bar food or a sophisticated restaurant entrée, chicken is a must-have mainstay on menus across the country. Baked, fried, sautéed, barbecued, grilled ... the list of ways to prepare this bird is endless and chefs are discovering new recipes that tempt customers every day.
    At Star Bar, Des Moines, Iowa, Chef Jeremy Morrow has been serving his newest chicken creation –– Chicken Breast with Chipotle Pan Gravy and Cheddar Grits –– for about four months. At $12.95 per serving, customers are crowing about this scrumptious chicken dish.
    Traditional chicken dishes and appetizers such as fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, tapas and wings also remain popular, he says.
    “There’s always a place for those, but then it’s always good to have and option for people who want to try something different,” Morrow says.

Art of the Chicken
    If it walks like a chicken and clucks like a chicken, then you might as well build your whole restaurant menu around it, right? Well, that’s what owners Marlene and Nick Pryslak have done with The Art of the Chicken restaurant in Ludlow, Vt. For almost 10 years, the Pryslaks changed their regular restaurant fare to dishes and a menu with soup, appetizers, sandwiches, salads and entrees, all made with — you guessed it — chicken.
    Their selection of chicken soups include Chicken Rice, Chicken Noodle and Chicken Chowder, a priced at about $2.59 for a bowl. Or, if you prefer an appetizer, they offer Buffalo Wings, Fried Chicken-Provolone Ravioli and Chicken Fingers, all priced under $5. The sandwich list includes a Sliced Roasted Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Cheddar Tomato Melt, a CLT (chicken, lettuce and tomato sandwich) and more, priced at about $5.50 each. Entrees include a chicken Broccoli Quiche (about $5), with which their customers may choose to have a Raspberry Vinaigrette Chicken Salad ($5.79) on the side.
    Nick Pryslak says the decision to specialize was a way to compete with several other eateries located within the same mall, and the move has paid off with a progressive increase in sales and profits during the past decade.
    “We were the first restaurant to offer chicken finger sandwiches,” Pryslak says. “And now it seems like it’s escalated, and everyone is offering them. So obviously we chose the right field.”

Brewing up Chicken Sales
    To give customers great food to pair with their popular beer, Manayunk Brewery & Restaurant in Philadelphia also has made chicken a large part of their creations, from appetizers to soups to main dishes, says Biba Hilfman, public relations coordinator with The Restaurant Collection, the public relations agency for the brewery.
    “Even better is that their new menu actually has beer pairing suggestions for almost every dish, and as you will see tend to recommend full-bodied beers to go with their chicken dishes,” Hilfman says.
    In fact, the combination of great beer and delicious chicken dishes became so popular that three years ago, Manayunk installed an open-front rotisserie at the restaurant This ultra-high-end piece of equipment, located adjacent to the Downstairs Bar, is one of only two of its kind in the entire Northeast region, and produces exquisitely succulent poultry, as well as other meats, fish and vegetables.  Surrounded by bar-style seating, the rotisserie is entirely visible to diners.
    General Manager Mike Rose says the restaurant sells a full platter of half a rotisserie chicken with two side dishes for $10.95.  But they run a special on Monday nights when this platter is only $6.95. The restaurant also offers this as an early bird special Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
    The restaurant also runs late-night rotisserie specials Wednesday through Saturdays, and — to entice customers to buy the full meals — includes samples from the rotisserie during the free Happy Hour food every Friday. They even offer a whole rotisserie chicken for take-out for $9.95.  Brewmaster Larry Horwitz has created specialty beers to pair with the rotisserie chicken, with the pairings listed on the restaurant’s menu. NCB