Side Chick fried chicken restaurant closes in Lyn-Lake Minneapolis

Fried chicken restaurant side chick suddenly and quietly closed just a year after it opened, following claims that its branding was misogynistic.

What is happening: The Side Chick storefront in Lyn-Lake Minneapolis now has a hastily scrawled sign on the door that reads “Sorry Fam, Side Chick has CLOSED.” His Instagram page has been deletedand an employee at the nearby restaurant told Axios that the space closed last week.

• Yes, but: Its website and menu are still live, and Axios can confirm that the restaurant sent out coupons to nearby homes under its current name this month.

Rollback: The fast-casual Southern restaurant and bar had been criticized since opening in June 2021 for what some called a sexist brand, Heavy Table reported last year.

• Side Chick is slang for a woman involved with someone married or engaged, and the menu included items like “Nashville Hottie” and “Legs for Days.”
• Celebrity chef Justin Sutherland consulted on the menu and the concept, but left the company when it changed hands in September 2021, a spokesperson told Axios.
• He said Mpls St. Paul Magazine last June that the marketing director, who is a woman, came up with the name.

And after: A new concept could be in preparation. The restaurant’s old Facebook and Instagram pages were renamed “Luna Uptown”, and says “New vibes coming 🌚” in her bio.