Hattie B's Hot Chicken
Hattie B's Hot Chicken is a Nashville-based family-owned restaurant chain specializing in hot chicken and Southern comfort food.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hattie B's Hot Chicken is an American restaurant brand built around Nashville hot chicken, a regional specialty consisting of fried chicken seasoned with a spicy pepper-based preparation and traditionally served with white bread and pickles. The company was founded by a father and son who both bear the name Nick Bishop, and the first Hattie B's restaurant opened in Nashville's Midtown neighborhood on August 9, 2012. The name honors three women in the Bishop family named Hattie. The brand's central product is fried chicken offered at a range of heat levels, allowing customers to choose from relatively mild seasoning through extremely hot preparations. Its most intense version has been associated with ghost peppers and is known for pronounced, severe spiciness. The traditional presentation places the chicken over slices of white bread with pickles, linking the restaurant's menu and identity to Nashville's established hot-chicken culture rather than treating the dish as a generic fried-chicken product. Hattie B's menu extends beyond individual hot-chicken plates. It includes chicken sandwiches, chicken and waffles, Southern side dishes, desserts, beverages, and other casual dining offerings. This combination gives the brand a broader restaurant proposition while keeping hot chicken as its defining product and principal reason for customer visits. The food is positioned as regional, informal, highly customizable in spice intensity, and suitable for both local diners and visitors seeking a recognizable Nashville specialty. Following the original opening, Hattie B's expanded through additional company locations in Nashville and then into other American markets. A second Nashville restaurant opened in West Nashville in June 2014. The company entered Birmingham, Alabama, in June 2016, added a third Nashville location in November 2017, and expanded to Memphis and Atlanta in 2018. Later that year, it opened a location inside The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. A Dallas restaurant followed in February 2022. In 2026, the brand opened its first Midwestern restaurant in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, with additional Chicago locations in Wicker Park and River North reported as being planned. The company remains privately held and family owned. Its growth has taken place in Southern and Midwestern U.S. markets, as well as selected destination and entertainment locations. Hattie B's has received attention from national food and lifestyle publications, including reviews in USA Today and Sports Illustrated in 2017. That year, The Daily Meal placed it sixth on a list of America's 75 best fried-chicken restaurants. The brand's identity rests on a focused regional specialty, a recognizable heat-level system, a casual restaurant format, and expansion from its Nashville base into other cities without abandoning its connection to local hot-chicken traditions.
History
Hattie B's Hot Chicken emerged from Nashville's long-established hot-chicken tradition. The restaurant was founded by a father and son who both have the name Nick Bishop. The brand name refers to three women in the Bishop family named Hattie, giving the chain a family connection rather than a purely descriptive or geographic name. The first Hattie B's opened in Nashville's Midtown neighborhood on August 9, 2012. From the beginning, the restaurant focused on hot chicken as its signature offering. Its preparation follows the recognizable Nashville format: fried chicken is seasoned to a selected level of heat and served with white bread and pickles. The menu also incorporates other Southern comfort-food items, including chicken and waffles, side dishes, desserts, and drinks. Hattie B's expanded cautiously from its original Nashville base. The second restaurant opened in West Nashville in June 2014. In June 2016, the company opened in Birmingham, Alabama, its first reported location outside Tennessee. A third Nashville restaurant opened in November 2017. During 2018, the chain added a Midtown Memphis restaurant in April and an Atlanta restaurant in July. It also entered the Las Vegas market in the fall of that year with a location inside The Cosmopolitan, extending the concept into a major visitor and entertainment destination. The chain received broader national attention during this expansion period. In 2017, it was reviewed by USA Today and Sports Illustrated, and The Daily Meal ranked it sixth among America's 75 best fried-chicken restaurants. Such recognition reinforced the restaurant's profile beyond Nashville and helped associate Hattie B's with the growing national awareness of Nashville hot chicken. Expansion continued with a Dallas location opened in February 2022. In 2026, Hattie B's opened its first Midwestern location in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, with two additional Chicago locations in Wicker Park and River North reported as planned. Across these markets, the company has remained privately held and family owned. Its business model combines a focused signature dish with a broader casual restaurant menu, using customizable spice levels and a strong regional identity to appeal to local customers, tourists, and diners seeking Southern food.
- 2026
First Midwestern location opens in Chicago
[1]The company opened in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood and reported plans for two more Chicago locations.
- 2022
Dallas location opens
[1]Hattie B's opened a restaurant in Dallas, Texas, in February.
- 2018
Memphis, Atlanta, and Las Vegas expansion
[1]The chain added locations in Memphis, Atlanta, and Las Vegas during 2018.
- 2017
Third Nashville restaurant opens
[1]A third Nashville location opened in November as the local restaurant network grew.
- 2016
Expansion to Birmingham
[1]The company opened a location in Birmingham, Alabama, extending beyond Nashville and Tennessee.
- 2014
Second Nashville location opens
[1]Hattie B's opened a second restaurant in West Nashville in June.
- 2012
Original Midtown Nashville restaurant opens
[1]The first Hattie B's Hot Chicken restaurant opened in Midtown Nashville on August 9, establishing the brand's hot-chicken-centered restaurant concept.
Products and positioning
A family-owned casual restaurant brand centered on authentic Nashville-style hot chicken, flexible spice levels, Southern sides, and an accessible fast-casual dining experience.
Signature entrée · 2012
Nashville hot chicken
Hattie B's core product is fried chicken seasoned in the Nashville hot-chicken style. Customers can select among multiple spice levels, from milder preparations to an extremely hot version associated with ghost peppers. The traditional serving presentation includes white bread and pickles.
Sandwich
Hot chicken sandwiches
The brand extends its signature chicken into sandwich formats, retaining the central combination of fried chicken, spicy seasoning, and casual Southern restaurant presentation.
Entrée
Chicken and waffles
Chicken and waffles broaden the menu beyond standalone hot-chicken plates while reinforcing Hattie B's Southern comfort-food positioning.
Side dish and dessert · 2012
Southern sides and desserts
The restaurant offers side dishes and desserts designed to accompany its fried-chicken meals and provide a broader casual dining experience.
Brand decisions
2018
Expand into destination and multi-city marketsStrategyBackground
After establishing several Nashville restaurants and entering Birmingham, the company pursued a wider regional and destination-market footprint.
Action taken
Hattie B's opened in Memphis, Atlanta, and inside The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas during 2018.
Aftermath
The brand broadened its presence beyond Tennessee while retaining its Nashville hot-chicken identity.
2012
Build the restaurant concept around Nashville hot chickenStrategyBackground
The founders established Hattie B's as a dedicated restaurant brand centered on Nashville's signature hot-chicken tradition.
Action taken
The company combined fried chicken with selectable heat levels, traditional white-bread-and-pickle service, and a broader Southern comfort-food menu.
Aftermath
The focused concept became the foundation for expansion from Nashville into other Southern, Western, and Midwestern U.S. markets.
Recent events
Reported
Hattie B's and Flock collaborate on a Nashville Hot chicken chip[2]
Flock Chicken Chips and Hattie B's Hot Chicken announced a collaboration to create a Nashville Hot-style chicken chip, combining Flock's chicken chip with Hattie B's signature spices.
Reported
Flock and Hattie B's Nashville Hot chicken chips become available nationwide[2]
The Hattie B's Flock Chips, a new Nashville Hot-style chicken chip, were reported as available nationwide through flockfoods.com.
Sources2 sources
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