Chicago has many opinions—deep dish or tavern style, mustard or “absolutely not” on a hot dog—but one thing unites almost everyone: a free chicken sandwich. And Lakeview is about to get thousands of them.
Hot Chi Chicken, the South Side-born hot chicken shop, is marking the opening of its newest location with an all-day giveaway on December 6. From 11am to 8pm, anyone who shows up at 953 West Belmont Avenue can snag a free sandwich. No fine print, no hoops—just crispy chicken.
The brand built its following in Chatham before expanding to the Old Post Office and Sterling Food Hall. Founders Amer and Mutaz Abdullah, along with partner Kinan Moufti, carved out a cult audience with their unapologetically bold sandwiches, including the harissa-glazed Popeye’s Ain’t Sh!t, hot honey butter variations and spicy tenders. (Middle Eastern influences give the Nashville-style lineup a unique twist.)
Lakeview is set to be the team’s most visible launch yet, with months of social media buildup. Moufti has turned the Belmont station into a studio, filming man-on-the-street videos and handing out hundreds of free sandwich vouchers to commuters. His clever countdown clips have racked up millions of views.
View this post on Instagram
“In some ways, this is all brand new because we haven't opened yet, and we're already full swing into talking to our future community,” Amer told Time Out in November. “In other ways, this is exactly what we've been doing for the past five years since we started documenting all of our experiences on social media from our early days with Cedars.”
This isn’t the team’s first massive giveaway, though. When the Sterling Food Hall outpost opened, Hot Chi handed out thousands of sandwiches and drew an estimated 5,000 people on day one. By their own telling, it was “pure mayhem in the best way.”
The Lakeview shop will offer all of the brand's signatures, along with a few exclusives, including the Dirty Mac: a scoop of mac and cheese topped with hot chicken, Alabama white sauce and their signature seasoning. The space will also host comedy nights, live music and even chicken-eating competitions.
If you’ve been watching Hot Chi’s socials and waiting for your moment, this week is it. One day. One location. Thousands of free sandwiches.