Ramblin’ with… Chicken Chef in Island Lakes

St. Vital

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2023 (1028 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I first wrote about Chicken Chef on Island Shore Boulevard in January 2020, when it was in its infancy. Now that it’s way beyond those first baby steps, I wanted to check in on the progress the restaurant has made.

Ironically, the column was published on Jan. 13, 2020 — one day before I suffered a heart attack and stroke which has left many lingering effects. However, these medical issues haven’t diminished my ongoing love affair with Chicken Chef and its delectable fried chicken and other delicious items.

Jeff Epp was the man from the ownership group I spoke to back then, so I reached out to him once again. Here are his responses to my queries:

“The Island Lakes Chicken Chef Family Dining location officially opened in mid-February 2020, only to be closed a month later as a result of the COVID health threat,” he wrote.

“Fortunately, the owners were able develop and execute the takeout and delivery component of the traditional Chicken Chef business model during this extremely trying period that has been well written about by now.”

I asked what other changes, if any, were implemented.

“As we were already prepared to execute the takeout and delivery component of the business, we did not need to pivot in the way others in the restaurant industry were forced to contemplate. That being said, a significant investment (had been) made to develop the dine-in component of the location, so the financial modeling for the business was seriously upended,” Epp said.

“Nevertheless, we are extremely grateful for the community support we received early on and continue to enjoy post-pandemic. The Island Lakes Chicken Chef would have been a short-lived endeavour without that support.”

I asked what business has been like since the worst of the pandemic has passed.

“As an organization, Chicken Chef is rebounding well in spite of the myriad of challenges consumers are facing due to inflation and rising interest rates. That aside, Chicken Chef has built a reputation over the years of being a community gathering destination point. This process is organic by nature and the pandemic clearly disrupted the process from taking hold in the early days of the Island Lakes launch period,” Epp said.

“Recruitment and retention of staff are newfound challenges post-pandemic as well, but this is certainly not news by now. The short-term goal is to add more staff and lengthen our daily hours of operation.”

Asked if he wanted to add anything, Epp wrote:

“2023 marks the 45th year since the first Chicken Chef opened in Carman, Man. We are hopeful this legacy will carry forward in Island Lakes and its surrounding communities.”

That’s a wrap, Rinn is rambling on…