Hot Chicken Takeover's original North Market location in doubt after string of closures

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The future of Hot Chicken Takeover's last location in the North Market is uncertain after the brand recently shuttered three other central Ohio restaurants.

North Market executive director Rick Harrison Wolfe confirmed to NBC4 that the location's fate "doesn't look good," given he hasn't heard from Hot Chicken Takeover's owner, Craveworthy Brands, in months after repeatedly reaching out, as first reported by Columbus Business First.

Craveworthy said Sept. 9 it shuttered Hot Chicken Takeover's Westerville restaurant, less than a week after closing the Gahanna and Grandview Heights eateries. CEO Gregg Majewski said that "the statement we previously shared still stands and reflects the care and purpose behind these decisions as we honor the spirit and legacy of the brand as it was." Watch a previous NBC4 report on Hot Chicken Takeover's closures in the video player above.

Majewski had said, "closing our Grandview and Gahanna locations was an incredibly difficult decision, but one made with care and purpose," and that Craveworthy is "honoring the spirit in which Hot Chicken Takeover was created, protecting the heart of the brand and ensuring its legacy lives on."

The North Market location stands as Hot Chicken Takeover's original eatery that opened in 2014. The Westerville restaurant launched in 2021, while the Grandview location opened in 2022 followed by the Gahanna restaurant in 2023. Craveworthy also shuttered eateries in Clintonville in July, in Easton Town Center in March, and in Lewis Center in January.

Untamed Brands, Hot Chicken Takeover's former parent company, was purchased in May 2024 by Craveworthy, which is also a managing partner in Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken chain.

After the acquisition, Craveworthy announced plans to merge the Chicago-based chicken concept Budlong and Hot Chicken Takeover, creating a refreshed brand called "HCT: Southern Chicken." However, throughout the Columbus area, the brand chose to keep the original Hot Chicken Takeover name.

Known for its chicken sandwiches, the chain also serves chicken tenders, plant-based nuggets, and sides like mac and cheese, fries and coleslaw.

Last fall, Hot Chicken Takeover rolled out a new menu, featuring hand-breaded chicken made similar to how its chicken was made when the brand first launched in 2014. Among the new menu items were chicken-fried steak, homemade hushpuppies, cornbread and sweet hand pies.