Slim Chickens opens its first Indiana location in West Lafayette

Noe Padilla, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
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A photo of Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.
A photo of Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. − For those fried chicken lovers out there, there's good news in the air. West Lafayette is now home to Indiana's first Slim Chickens location.

The restaurant offers a variety of options with tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads and chicken and waffles. But unlike similar style restaurants, Slim Chickens also offers a variety of southern classics, including fried okra, fried mushrooms, fried pickles, cheesecakes in a glass, and 17 different dipping sauces, to name a few.

"The company tagline is life-changing chicken, and we think that's the magic touch. From the folks I've talked to so far, they're like, 'Wow this is really special'," said Greg Wray, general manager of the West Lafayette location.

"There's another one in town (chicken restaurant), that I won't mention, but you might know who they are. We do similar things but our menu is a lot more expansive − we have bone-in wings, wraps, salads and sandwiches. That’s kind of what sets us apart.”

Slim Chicken is an Arkansas-based company and the opening of its West Lafayette location, it marks the start of the company’s largest franchise agreement, which will see a 71-restaurant expansion across Indiana, Illinois and Florida.

A mural inside of Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.
A mural inside of Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.

This effort is being led Alvaro Cabrera, who was once one of the largest franchise owners of Burger King locations and the Dos Primos Capital Group.

"We are humbled by the warm reception of the people of West Lafayette to give us an opportunity," Cabrera said.

The company has already started the construction on its next Indiana location, which will be located in Traders Point, Indianapolis. The company plans to open around 60 new locations in Indiana.

The latest Slim Chickens is located at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University."Slim Chickens looks forward to bringing a sense of southern hospitality to the students at Purdue University," the release stated. "The store plans on staying open until midnight to ensure that students can use the space and enjoy fresh, quality food after a long day.

A commemorative cup Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, offers to its customers on its first day of operation, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.
A commemorative cup Slim Chickens' first Indiana location, in West Lafayette at 2901 Northwestern Ave., near Purdue University, offers to its customers on its first day of operation, on Feb. 7, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind.

"Aside from bringing its famous, delicious fried chicken and Southern-inspired sides to students, the new Slim Chickens location in West Lafayette, IN will also make a positive economic impact with over 75 new jobs anticipated for creation in the community."

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Slim Chickens opens in West Lafayette, near Purdue