Le Mars food truck Chix Chicken & Waffles to open restaurant

Tracy Brent, who owns the meals truck with husband Monte, mentioned the Chix Rooster & Waffles restaurant is anticipated to open at 35 Central Ave. NW, a block from the Wells Customer Heart & Ice Cream Parlor, on the primary Wednesday in June, although there could also be a comfortable opening earlier than then. 

Renovations have been underway for months on the property, which is owned by Mike and Cheryl Wells, former house owners of Wells Enterprises who’ve taken on a significant position in Le Mars’ cultural life since promoting the ice cream producer. 

“Truthfully, they’re a part of the undertaking, and we actually could not have executed it with out them,” Tracy Brent mentioned. 

“We had checked a number of totally different areas out, they usually all sort of did not come to fruition, and we talked to some individuals, and other people talked to individuals, and this one got here out there,” Monte Brent added. 

Staff this week have been placing some ending touches on the constructing’s inside. 

As is usually the case with renovations, issues progressed extra slowly this 12 months than the couple had initially deliberate. 

“It has been a bit off-track,” Tracy Brent mentioned. “However, you recognize, I am a agency believer that all the things occurs when it is meant to occur, and it actually has.”

The restaurant will take up two flooring within the constructing — the principle ground may have seating for 95 patrons and the decrease ground may have seating for one more 65. The restaurant can even have an arcade within the downstairs, with 25 to 30 video games, Tracy Brent mentioned. 

“We wish this to be a family-fun restaurant,” she mentioned. 

The couple has operated the meals truck, considered one of only a few locations in Siouxland that provides hen and waffles, for the previous three years. Their meals truck thought took place throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as a form of backup or supplemental income stream. 

“I’ve at all times needed to do a restaurant, I’ve at all times beloved the concept of hen tenders which might be recent,” Tracy Brent mentioned. 

“We got here up with, ‘Let’s simply do the southern factor, and go together with hen and waffles,'” she added. “So, that is actually the way it took place.” 

The truck gives hen tenders with French fries and waffle triangles, together with wraps and sandwiches and numerous fried sides and desserts. 

The menu choices for the restaurant are nonetheless being ironed out; there is a world of potentialities for brand new and totally different menu gadgets, Tracy Brent mentioned, since they’re going to have extra room within the constructing. The very best-loved gadgets from the meals truck will, after all, be there. 

“We’ll have loads of the identical issues,” she mentioned.

Chix Rooster & Waffles has since made stops as removed from house as Sioux Heart, Vermillion, S.D., Sioux Metropolis and the outskirts of Sioux Falls; the meals truck has been warmly acquired, Tracy Brent mentioned, which inspired them to make the soar right into a brick-and-mortar area. Quite a lot of patrons on social media have left glowing evaluations of the meals. 

“Genuinely the very best meals I’ve ever had!” one reviewer on Fb wrote in June 2022. 

“The hen and waffles are superb, recent, and nice high quality! I like all of the sauces!” one other reviewer wrote a month earlier than that. 

Tracy Brent mentioned the general public’s constructive response has introduced her nice pleasure: “I like the sensation when somebody enjoys one thing that I’ve spent a lot time creating.” 

They meals truck will nonetheless be stored in service, Tracy Brent mentioned, even after the restaurant opens.

“We’ll nonetheless have it out for occasions,” she mentioned.