Hot chicken is officially heading for O'Fallon. Heaterz Chicken, the Alton-born Nashville-style hot-chicken outfit, is set to open a stall inside the Old Base Factory food hall later this year through a partnership with local nonprofit Soulcial Kitchen. Developers are pitching the project as a mix of regional food draw and community programming that aims to make the revamped site something more ambitious than a basic food court.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the O'Fallon location is slated to debut in the third quarter of 2026 and will join a lineup that already includes Beast Craft BBQ and Max and Mugg’s. The paper reports that the Heaterz stall will operate as a franchise in partnership with Soulcial Kitchen and will take part in the nonprofit's Currency of Caring program. Old Base Factory co-founder Eric Wallace described the venue as intended to be "more than a food hall," according to a release cited by the Belleville News-Democrat.
Currency of Caring And The Training Pipeline
Soulcial Kitchen runs a token-based Currency of Caring program and a Department of Labor-certified food-truck apprenticeship that moves staff and entrepreneurs into permanent roles, per Soulcial Kitchen. The program turns purchased tokens into free, chef-prepared meals for people facing food insecurity and has been used at large community events across the Metro East. Organizers say plugging a fast-growing name like Heaterz into that setup could widen both the restaurant's reach and the program's impact.
Heaterz's Regional Reach And Menu
Heaterz has built a small chain of outlets plus a busy food truck, serving a tight menu of Nashville-style sandwiches, tenders, wings and sides, according to Heaterz Chicken. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the O'Fallon stall will be the brand's sixth brick-and-mortar spot, underscoring how quickly it has spread across the region. The company has leaned on food-truck appearances and community partnerships while branching into neighboring towns in recent years.
Old Base Factory's Plan And Timeline
The Old Base Factory is a reworked industrial building near the O'Fallon Family Sports Park that developers say will house an 11,230-square-foot food hall, arcade and patio space, according to early reporting by St. Louis Magazine. Construction is underway at 230 Oberneufemann Road, and owners have targeted a late-summer opening window. The planned mix of local fixtures and regional names is meant to position O'Fallon as a dining destination instead of just another roadside stop.
What This Could Mean For The Community
Local leaders say the combination of a recognizable hot-chicken brand and a mission-driven operator could keep traffic flowing through the complex while also feeding neighbors who need help. The Currency of Caring directory lists Heaterz among its participating Illinois partners, and Food is Love's program materials highlight past collaborations with Soulcial Kitchen that have provided thousands of meals at community events. Organizers see the Old Base Factory as a high-profile test of whether a food hall in the Metro East can juggle both business goals and social impact without dropping either plate.
