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October 14, 2020

Like spice? New Elm City eatery aims to please 

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

The new downtown eatery “Haven Hot Chicken” has a fire-breathing chicken for a logo. Once you taste its spicy Nashville-inspired fare, you’ll understand why.

Four restaurateurs are officially opening the new business, at 21 Whitney Ave., on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The partners behind the enterprise - Rob LaTronica, Craig Sklar, Jason Sobocinski and Etkin Tekin - became friends and discovered they all loved Nashville-style hot chicken. But they couldn’t find any area restaurants offering it.

They vowed to fix that situation by launching their own restaurant.

“New Haven has long been regarded as a serious foodie destination and we’re excited to join the ranks of so many accomplished brands,” said LaTronica.

The men launched the brand in 2019 and have had sold-out pop-up events around the city. Now, they have their own 1,000-square-foot restaurant in space which formerly housed another eatery, Freskos.

“It’s been two years in the making,” Tekin said. “We’ve already built up a following.”

While they considered having a larger restaurant with sit-down eating, Haven Hot Chicken is focused on takeout and delivery. The inside has a mural of a fire-breathing chicken, created by New Haven artist M. Deangelo.

“COVID has been a blessing and a curse, we designed this space for the pandemic and worked toward a safe, streamlined and convenient restaurant,” Tekin said. “We hope to bring joy and escape, even if it is through a sandwich.”

After several trips to Nashville and hundreds of test recipes, LaTronica created the restaurant’s  unique menu.

Customers are invited to “choose your heat,” while ordering. You can pick from five spice levels - Country, Mild, Medium, Hot and Haven. “Country” has no spice, and the heat increases until you reach “Haven,” which is for those who really like a lot of heat. The owners caution the latter might make you sweat.

From left, Tekin, manager Lou Ward, LaTronica, Sklar and Sobocinski inside their new venture, Haven Hot Chicken. PHOTO | New Haven BIZ

The menu features a variety of combo meals, including boneless chicken sandwiches and tenders. Vegetarians have the option of a sandwich made from a buttermilk-marinated, oven-roasted, double-fried cauliflower steak. Guests can also enjoy a variety of side dishes such as collard greens, banana pudding, slaw, pickles and french fries. The restaurant has kid-friendly options.

The four partners have years of experience in the restaurant industry. LaTronica, a chef, is formerly of Wheeler’s and The Beer Collective. Sklar owns The Beer Collective. Sobocinski has had a number of ventures, such as Caseus, Ordinary and The Stack. Tekin was a founder of The Little Salad Shop. 

According to the partners, they plan to donate one percent of their profits from the new restaurant to area organizations focused on equality.

“Local, Connecticut-based organizations will be selected on a monthly basis to be the beneficiaries of these donations, with the company working with their team members to help suggest initiatives for donations after Haven Hot Chicken opens its doors,” Sklar said.

Haven Hot Chicken will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner. The owners plan to expand soon to seven days a week. Online ordering will be available via SnackPass and UberEats. Visit havenhotchicken.com for more information.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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