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Chicken Scratch, an Indianapolis restaurant named as one of Yelp’s 10 Black-owned businesses to watch in 2023, is indeed making moves this year.
Chef Tia Harrison plans to expand from the original Chicken Scratch, 5308 N. Keystone Ave., with a new location in downtown Indianapolis and another in Cincinnati.
The downtown restaurant at 121 W. Maryland St. will take over a 2,830-square-foot spot that’s been vacant since a Noodles & Co. location closed there due to a water-pipe-related flood in 2018 following nearly 10 years in business.
“It’s a place to get a new customer base,” said Harrison, who projects an opening date in August.
The Cincinnati Chicken Scratch is expected to open in July in the city’s St. Bernard suburb, she said.
Known for chicken wings and gourmet smothered fries, Chicken Scratch scores high in Yelp user reviews for the restaurant’s blackened chicken alfredo and Buffalo chicken sandwich.
“I think the most gratifying thing is people coming back all the time,” Harrison said. “We see the same customers and know them by name. I don’t necessarily look for recognition. I look for people to love the food.”
In contrast to the North Keystone restaurant, which opened in 2021 as a carry-out business, the downtown Indianapolis and Cincinnati locations will feature dine-in seating.
Co-owned by Harrison and Zion Ferguson, Chicken Scratch employs 15 people at its original restaurant. Harrison said the downtown Indianapolis location will employ about 20 people.
Harrison’s long-range plans include a revival of her Chef Tia & Co. concept, a restaurant that closed in 2022 at 4955 W. Washington St.
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Cool
Great to see. Good spot, and should get a lot of convention and game foot traffic.