Hot Chicken Takeover closes final Columbus location at North Market

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Hot Chicken Takeover has closed its last remaining central Ohio location at the North Market, ending a decade-long run in the city where the brand first got its start.

A sign posted to the restaurant's front door reads, "This Hot Chicken Takeover location is now closed." Rick Harrison Wolfe, the North Market's CEO and executive director, confirmed the closure to NBC4 and said the brand's owner, Craveworthy Brands, is currently in default on its lease. Watch a previous NBC4 report on Hot Chicken Takeover's closures in the video player above.

"Craveworthy Brands, the owner of Hot Chicken Takeover, is currently in default of their lease, owing the market significant amounts in back rent as well as other outstanding expenses," Wolfe said in a statement. "Despite our attempts to communicate and resolve these issues, their corporate office has remained uncooperative. This lack of accountability and communication is deeply concerning."

Wolfe called the situation particularly disappointing, citing the deep history between the North Market and the brand.

"North Market was proud to be the very first brick-and-mortar home for Hot Chicken Takeover, and we celebrated their growth as a brand that started here," Wolfe said. "To see the relationship deteriorate to this point saddens me -- not just because of the financial strain it creates for the market, but because of the broken trust and missed opportunities to work together toward a solution."

The closure of the North Market stall follows a string of shutdowns by Hot Chicken Takeover across central Ohio. In recent weeks, locations in Grandview Heights, Gahanna, and Westerville were closed. Earlier this year, restaurants in Clintonville, Easton Town Center, and Lewis Center also shuttered.

Craveworthy Brands, which acquired Hot Chicken Takeover's former parent company Untamed Brands in 2024, previously stated the closures were part of a broader strategic shift meant to preserve the brand's legacy.

"Closing our Grandview and Gahanna locations was an incredibly difficult decision, but one made with care and purpose," Craveworthy CEO Gregg Majewski said earlier this month. "We are honoring the spirit in which Hot Chicken Takeover was created, protecting the heart of the brand and ensuring its legacy lives on."

At the time of the acquisition, Craveworthy announced plans to merge Hot Chicken Takeover with Budlong, a Chicago-based chicken brand, to create a new concept called HCT: Southern Chicken. In Columbus, however, the brand retained the original Hot Chicken Takeover name.

Hot Chicken Takeover began as a weekend pop-up before launching its first permanent location in 2014 at the North Market. It gained popularity for its Nashville-style hot chicken, plant-based nuggets, and sides like mac and cheese, slaw, and cornbread. Last fall, the brand introduced an updated menu with throwback items like chicken-fried steak and hand pies.

Craveworthy Brands has not yet responded to a request for comment.