WILMINGTON — Many restaurants have names that tell stories, hold some sort of alternate meanings, or just look fancy on a menu. Not so much for Wilmington’s newest takeout restaurant, Chicken in the Box, located on the north end of the Brooklyn Arts District.
“We got some pretty good chicken wings here,” owner Kevin Corbett said late Monday afternoon.
Corbett opened the restaurant with his family on Saturday, and said things have already been going well. Unlike traditional sit-down restaurants struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic, he’s confident Chicken in the Box comes at a time when the takeout and delivery model can thrive.
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Although Corbett hopes to open separated outdoor seating in the future, he’ll stay focused on getting boxes full of fried chicken wings, po’boys, sandwiches, and burgers into the hands of his customers (see a picture below for the full menu).
And because his family has ties to New Orleans — which explains the shrimp and catfish po’boys on the menu — they’ll look to add sides like jambalaya and dirty rice in the future. He also plans to build a sliding pick-up window next to the front door for when things get busy.
For the few days they’ve been open, the most popular order has been the three-piece chicken wings with one or two sides, according to Corbett. And customers have told him they like the open layout of the front counter area, where he said customers can comfortably talk with whoever’s cooking while they wait for their orders.
As for the name, Corbett said a clerk at Sam’s Club told him recently to “just throw his chicken in the box,” and laughed when he told her that was what he called his new restaurant. For him, it’s a matter of directness and simplicity.
“No bullsh–t — straight chicken in the box,” he said laughing.
Chicken in the Box is located at 1124 N. 4th Street. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
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