Bucktown is getting a bird-focused newcomer from some very familiar faces. Brothers Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey are opening Chez Poulet, a counter-service rotisserie chicken spot, in the former Taqueria Chingón space at 2234 N. Western Ave. The restaurant is slated to open in mid-June and will be run day to day by chef Keagan Beresford. The plan is straightforward and comfort-driven: whole birds and quick-serve sides, with whole chickens expected to land in the high-$20s to low-$30s and half birds around $15.
As reported by Block Club Chicago, Chez Poulet’s chickens will be brined and air-dried before they ever hit the heat, and the menu will feature seasonal sides, French-leaning desserts and a small, temperature-controlled wine shop tucked into the back. On weekends the kitchen will add wraps and banh mi to the lineup, and once the weather turns cold, pot pie will join the rotation. Bread for the counter will come from Mindy’s Bakery.
Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey are already deeply woven into Chicago’s restaurant scene. They run Bucktown staple Le Bouchon and opened Obélix before adding Mariscos San Pedro to the roster, and their expanding group now employs more than a hundred staff across projects. Reporting from the Chicago Sun-Times details the family’s history and recent expansions, and the brothers have also floated a separate raclette concept while bringing on a director of operations.
Kitchen and equipment
The team says it will install an Old Hickory rotisserie to handle the volume. Old Hickory manufactures commercial ovens built to cook dozens of birds at a time, a practical fit for a quick-serve rotisserie format. Product specs show models that can hold roughly 20 to 70 chickens per batch depending on configuration, which should let the kitchen pull sizeable runs for both counter orders and family packs without breaking a sweat.
What it means for Bucktown
Chez Poulet is taking over the corner that previously housed Taqueria Chingón, which closed its Western Avenue location in November 2024 before relocating to Fulton Market. Eater Chicago notes that the Poileveys plan to use the building’s second floor as an operations office and hire a director of operations, a clear signal they are gearing up to manage multiple neighborhood concepts.
Chez Poulet is targeting a mid-June opening, though hours and a formal launch date have not yet been announced. When it does open, the project is set to add a fast, shareable option to Bucktown’s dining mix, leaning on the Poileveys’ French-leaning hospitality and a focused, small wine selection.
