Throughout the past year there has been an a myriad of new entrepreneurs who have taken the risk of beginning their business endeavors. One that is standing out is Hot Chikn Kitchnn in Woodbridge. Featuring an electrifying atmosphere with upbeat music, along with excellent food as well was customer service, HCK has established itself as a restaurant that appeals to all who visit. Yesterday we had the opportunity to meet with Co-Owners Anthony Sarago and Chef Frederic Gilmore about their vision for not only serving Nashville-style chicken in Prince William County, but how they execute their culture via ‘Unity Through Food.’

“My father actually was the one who thought of ‘Unity Through Food,'” said Sarago, a Forest Park High School graduate. “He wanted to make it an inclusive place for all.”

“This started about a year ago. He sold Nashville chicken coming from the West Coast, and he noticed that there wasn’t a concept in Woodbridge similar to that. He knew he wanted to do a unifying message, and what was the best way to do it? Through food. So he felt that food could bring people together, especially in tough times like these.”

“So he took all that and decided this would be a great place, and then brought me and Chef Freddy on the team. His thought process was that we created the business plan from June to November 15^th, and have been open for over five months. Then, we wanted to take a further step. We just didn’t want to talk about unity, we wanted to show it by our actions, that’s why we partnered with great people like Freddy. I’m Caucasian, Freddy is bi-racial, and we wanted to show that in tough times we can be a unifying voice.”

Gilmore emphasizes the challenges he went through last year and how he applied those lessons learned at HCK. “2020 was a hard year for me being bi-racial. I went through a lot of debates on both sides and being the first bi-racial in my family to be born, I’m seeing that there is still good in all types of races. We can still come together and to preach a good word and walk by that good word.”

“I’ve always believed that food is love and that’s how I show my love to the people, through my food and hospitality. We’re all humans, we all deserve respect, no matter how we look on the outside, and that’s what we bring to the table here.”

Starting a business is challenging at any time, so how were they able to be successful starting out a business during the pandemic? “We came up with our own model in terms of retrofit,” said Sarago. “With less capital into space, I think we want to use the system we created and pass it on to whomever wanted to franchise with us. The model we created is very doable from a point of entry. We understand that it’s tough times. There are 1400 restaurants in Woodbridge, but we knew we had to be unique.”

He continues to discuss how they utilized that model through giving back. “So, what makes us different? How do we capture the community support? Customer service is a dying breed; and it’s difficult even now to be able to sit indoors due to the pandemic. People miss the customer interaction and it’s something we wanted to bring back.”

“We wanted to bring hope to the community. My father having the restaurant knowledge mentored us in terms of the financial operations and meeting with the landlords. He saw the potential in two young men and gave us the opportunity. In this day and age, there are opportunities in all shapes and forms, and if we are willing to take the calculated risk, we knew we could succeed.”

“You have to have a great team, and one of our strong points is having a unified front from a team perspective and that’s why the community has gotten behind us.”

He goes on to talk about how they’ve taken their customer service to those who serve in the most dangerous of environments. “Just the other day we donated chicken sandwiches to front line workers who were administering vaccine shots. We see day to day the grind of the restaurant industry, but that doesn’t mean there’s a community who’s working hard during this pandemic. We identified healthcare as somewhere we can add value and anything we can do, that’s our goal to give back to those who sacrifice so much.”

So how about the food itself? Let Chef Freddy describe it best. “Food will sell itself as long as the customer service and hospitality are impeccable,” said Gilmore. “We had some really good brainpower and did our research in preparation. It didn’t work because it’s Nashville chicken, it worked because of the hospitality.”

“With that said, we knew it was trying times for families with the pandemic and possibly delayed stimulus checks, so with every customer, we show our appreciation and thank them every time they swipe their credit cards or pay with cash. They love the atmosphere that we brought. That and the food continues to sell itself to this day.”

Gilmore describes the food and customer service as an amalgamation of their culture. “All of the food and sauces are hand made, nothing is frozen or premade we make it all in-house. But without the hospitality, the food wouldn’t matter. It’s that cohesiveness of customer service along with the food, and we’re golden.”

“I say we’re a little different in that we are not the traditional style Nashville chicken,” says Sarago. “We infuse all of our sauces and dips, which is infused with the different heat levels. We’ve found that it’s easier on the stomach, and although the pepper rubs were hot, it lacks flavor. That’s where the sauce idea comes in.”

Sarago talks about the creativity behind the sauces and how they become part of the HCK experience. “The sauces themselves starts at Base level, and it’s infused in cayenne pepper for the beginner heat connoisseur. The second level is After Burner and it’s infused with a habanero pepper. It’s going to jump up to 50,000 Scoville units. Third level is Angry Hot, and that’s a scorpion pepper, and that’s about 2 million SCU’s. Last but not least is the hottest sauce which is tier 4, the Medic. If it isn’t your level and you dare try it, you may need someone to take you home. It’s the same as a Carolina Reaper infused sauce.”

“We’re having so much fun with the sauces, and the way we create it, whatever the level is, it’s in a manner that you’re going to enjoy. It’s not about burning your tongue, it’s about bringing it all together in a way where you will taste the heat and enjoy the food.”

Joining the conversation to give a testimonial was Mr. Clyde Forcer: actor, local activist and self-proclaimed “President of the United Tastes of America.” He and his wife Candace frequent several eateries across the region, sharing the belief that people can come together over a great meal. “I found out about [HCK] when the first lady told me about the staff. She said ‘You have to come over because everyone here is very personable.’ When I came here and met the team, it was love at first sight.”

“It’s not everyday that you walk into a place that you find the people are great, and the food is excellent. When I read about their hospitality and community service, it’s over the top. And Unity Through Food, what a way to unite people! I wanted to come over as an actor to help promote their business.”

Throughout the day Forcer greeted everyone who came into the restaurant in his warm, genuine manner and even hosted a raffle for those in attendance.

As enjoyable as the food and hospitality is at HCK, there are still real issues that people have to deal with once they leave the restaurant. So we asked them how to bridge the racial gap given the challenges in society?

Gilmore states that it’s through seeing within ourselves that this is possible. “Unity is cohesiveness, everyone is getting along for a better reason, a higher purpose. This is more than just us. I’m active duty Navy, and it has touched some of our service members with the problems we’ve seen going on around us. It’s time to put the nonsense aside.”

“I don’t think we have a race problem, we have a cultural problem, and I believe that once we get down to ground zero and start working on it together we’ll get through it. If the problem is starting at home, you can’t go outside and expect things to be different. Instead of saying how can I get treated better, I need to ask how can I treat people better. We need to make America truly great again, the real way, and that’s facing problems toe to toe and let go of some things or vice versa.”

He continues, “We are unity through food, we want all walks of life to be comfortable under our roof. Here are being proactive and not reactive. We need to get out and talk with people to show them a way to be united together.”

Sarago concurs. “Freddy touched on that perfectly. When we say ground zero, that’s all of our communities. It starts there. What are we doing on a day to day, not just talk about it, but put it into action? Take that leap of faith and get out there and do something for your community that’s going to make a difference. A seed that’s watered right is growing to grow into the strongest oak tree, and that starts where we live, on a consistent basis.”

Forcer highlights a time when he had to talk with those who didn’t see eye to eye with his views but came to an agreement. “Eric Clapton made a song, ‘Change the World,’ and we can do that one person at a time,” said Forcer.

“I recall talking to counter protestors at the McCourt Building last July, and I listened to them. There was no screaming, and we actually shook hands, and they thanked me. I felt like I did my part that day to unite people who have differences of opinions. Dialogue is very important and you have to take the time to invest in people by listening and then talking. It’s okay to disagree but you have to find common ground at some point. One of the things I’ve learned is that people have a common ground.”

“To tie it into Hot Chikn Kitchn, everyone likes food, no matter your preference. It can be a unifying force.”

Not one to resist the opportunity to take the plunge, we at the PW Perspective tried one of their famed Nashville Chicken Sandwiches (with only After Burner sauce), and it is everything they said it was and then some.  Five star service with five star food, a great combination!

For more details on Hot Chikn Kitchn, visit their website. They are also on Facebook and Instagram.