Nashville heat is officially joining the Wrigleyville lineup. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, the Music City chain known for fiery hot chicken sandwiches, is opening its first Chicago restaurant at Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field on Thursday. It is the brand’s first permanent Illinois outpost and arrives as Wrigleyville’s dining scene keeps filling in around the ballpark. Fans can expect Hattie B’s familiar spectrum of heat levels and classic Southern sides once doors open.
The Wrigleyville restaurant is moving into the former Foxtrot space and covers roughly 3,265 to 3,300 square feet, with about 70 seats indoors and another 55 outside on a patio with retractable walls that can blur the line between inside and out, according to Eater Chicago. Eater also notes a roughly 515-square-foot patio and a menu built around sandwiches, tenders and plate meals. The layout is designed to work for both pregame rushes and slower neighborhood traffic.
Hattie B’s co-founder Nick Bishop Jr. said the company is “beyond excited” to bring its food to Chicago, according to Block Club Chicago. The Nashville-based chain is best known for a hot-chicken sandwich offered in multiple heat levels alongside Southern sides, per Hattie B’s. The company previously tested the Chicago market with a one-day Wicker Park pop-up in 2019 that drew long lines.
More Chicago outposts planned
Crain’s Chicago Business reports that Hattie B’s has signed a River North lease at 58 E. Ontario St. and lined up a Wicker Park site at 1542 N. Damen Ave., with spokespersons saying those restaurants could open later this year or by early 2027. Crain’s adds that the River North location is expected to seat around 75 guests inside and links the Wicker Park building to a nearly $16 million sale in 2025. If both sites move forward, the chain will be anchoring itself in three distinct Chicago neighborhoods.
Why Gallagher Way?
Gallagher Way, the public plaza outside the Friendly Confines, has turned into a mission-critical testing ground for concepts aimed at both Cubs fans and year-round locals. Adding Hattie B’s helps round out the mix of quick-serve and chef-driven options in the district, according to Marquee Development’s managing principal, as reported by NBC Chicago. The space’s flexible design, including retractable windows, is intended to keep the restaurant useful in every season and let it pivot between packed game days and slower shifts.
How Hattie B's fits Chicago's fried-chicken scene
Hattie B’s is stepping into a city that has already embraced Nashville-style hot chicken, from neighborhood spots to big-name fast-casual chains, as chronicled by Eater Chicago. The chain’s model of multiple heat levels, bone-in and tender plates, and Southern sides has translated well in other cities and is set up to handle both dine-in and to-go orders. For Chicago diners, the Wrigleyville opening adds another option for late-night game crowds and anyone chasing serious spice.
Hattie B’s is already hiring for its Chicago rollout. A company LinkedIn post shows the chain recruiting for a Wrigleyville regional manager, a sign it is planning for sustained operations beyond opening weekend, per Hattie B’s LinkedIn. Final hours for the Wrigleyville location have not yet been posted. Given the company’s track record, though, early visitors should be ready for lines, as Hattie B’s pop-ups and openings have historically drawn long waits.
