Chuck's Hot Chicken Eyes Former Courtesy Diner Location

This would be the locally owned Nashville-style chicken restaurant's fifth location

Sep 15, 2023 at 12:14 pm

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click to enlarge

Courtesy Chuck Taylor

A rendering shows what the Chuck's Hot Chicken that will take the space of the former Courtesy Diner on South Kingshighway will look like.

A local Nashville-style hot chicken chain may soon be filling the hole left by the departure of the South Kingshighway Courtesy Diner.

St. Louis Board of Adjustment staff confirmed this morning that the city had approved an appeal that would allow a building permit for 3315 South Kingshighway Boulevard. The appeal was filed by Chuck Taylor, who is the owner of Chuck's Hot Chicken, and the approved permit will allow Taylor "to make interior and exterior alterations (zoning only), per plans, for carry-out restaurant with sales windows."

Taylor confirmed the forthcoming Chuck's Hot Chicken location this afternoon, noting that he and his co-owner Jon Plawsky own the building, but the business will be a franchise owned by Warren Hamilton. He expects it to open this December.

"[Customers] can dine in by ordering through our service window, and they can eat on our brand new covered and revamped patio area, which we eventually change into a 4 season patio," Taylor wrote in a message. "But we specialize in online pickup and delivery."

If all goes according to plan, this would be the fifth location of Chuck's Hot Chicken. Currently, the homegrown company has spots in Maryland Heights, O'Fallon, Rock Hill and Wichita, Kansas. Taylor and Plawsky opened their first spot in Maryland Heights in January 2021, according to Sauce.

The restaurant has a consistent menu among locations, with chicken pieces, chicken and waffles, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, shareables such as corn fritters and cheese curds, sides such as French fries and green beans and a variety of desserts. All the chicken comes with a customizable heat level and choice of side sauce.

The South Kingshighway Courtesy Diner closed its doors in May 2022, citing staff issues. At the time, Marji Rugg, daughter of owner Larry Rugg and chief accountant for the eight-location business since 2014, told the RFT that it had been difficult to hire for a while but that they might reopen the location if it could be restaffed fully.

Hopes for that turnaround didn't last too long: In June, the building went up for sale.

But at least St. Louis still has two nearby locations, at 1121 Hampton Avenue and 8000 South Laclede Station Road — and now, it looks like, some hot chicken on the way.

This story has been updated with Friday at 3:20 p.m. with comment from Taylor and a rendering of the restaurant.