COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Hot Chicken Takeover, the central Ohio chain with a cult-like following, will revamp its locations and receive new branding after being sold to the restaurant group owned by the former CEO of Jimmy John’s.

Untamed Brands, the chicken chain’s parent company, was purchased earlier this month by another fast-casual restaurant company named Craveworthy Brands, which owns BD’s Mongolian Grill, Dirty Dough, Flat Top Grill, Genghis Grill and more. Craveworthy also now owns Untamed’s other chain, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, a New York City-based concept founded by Food Network Chef Einat Admoney.

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“Taim and HCT are beloved concepts with long histories of serving high-quality cuisine and providing excellent service,” said Gregg Majewski, founder of Craveworthy and the former CEO of Jimmy Johns. “They bring a fresh perspective and complement our existing portfolio extremely well, which allows us to cater to diverse consumer preferences and truly tap into new markets.”

Craveworthy said the chicken chain’s central Ohio locations will receive a makeover with refreshed branding in the coming future. The locations will also serve as the catalyst for “the creation of a fresh hot chicken concept” with Craveworthy’s Budlong, another hot chicken concept based in Chicago.

The sale comes after Untamed took ownership of Hot Chicken Takeover in late 2021. Since its founding in 2015, the chicken chain has ballooned to seven restaurants throughout central Ohio, including recent Grandview Heights addition and a new location in Gahanna that opened early last year.

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“Craveworthy has a wealth of experience in nurturing emerging restaurant brands and implementing scalable strategies,” said Phil Petrilli, CEO of Untamed. “Combining our strengths and shared commitment to culinary innovation, hospitality and elevating guest experiences, this will be an exciting, new chapter for Taim and HCT.”

The chicken chain’s announcement follows reports that Bob Evans, the chain of family-style restaurants also founded in central Ohio, is reportedly on the market. Bob Evans is currently owned by a private equity firm based in San Francisco named Golden Gate Capital, who purchased the chain in 2017 for $565 million.

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