Longtime Manchester chicken joint flies the coop

churchs chicken

Church’s Chicken at 9 Jefferson Davis Highway has been shut down. (J. Elias O’Neal)

Scoring a two-piece with a honey butter biscuit just got a lot harder in Manchester.

Church’s Chicken at 9 Jefferson Davis Highway abruptly has been shut down and boarded up. Nearby business owners say the closure occurred last week.

The fast-food chicken chain has operated there since the mid-1980s, according to city records, and its closure in Manchester marks the Atlanta-based restaurant’s complete exit from the metro Richmond market. It also had a Petersburg location at 108 S. Sycamore St. that closed last month.

Calls to Church’s Chicken were not returned Monday afternoon.

The closest Church’s Chicken locations are in the Hampton Roads cities of Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth, according to the company’s website. It also operates a location in Washington, D.C.

The restaurant’s closure adds to Manchester’s changing landscape as new development takes hold, and the former Church’s building may be ripe for reuse. The boarded-up building sits on about a quarter-acre at the intersection of Hull Street and Jefferson Davis Highway. It adjoins a shuttered carwash on a half-acre at 17 Jefferson Davis Highway.

No plans for the site have been filed with the city for the Church’s site. Its owners, which list a mailing address in Arlington, Texas, could not be reached for comment.

The property most recently was assessed by the city at $309,000.

Activity in Manchester has remained steady as investors appear to be bullish on the neighborhood’s future, including recent commercial investments to compliment the constant wave of residential projects.

An entity tied to Midlothian-based developer Rebkee Co. in June purchased the former McDonald’s lot at 821 Hull St., according to Richmond property records.

Café Zata, which has one coffee shop in Forest Hill, is set to open its second location in the former Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting facility at 700 Bainbridge St., while more than 30,000 square feet of retail is planned in the City View Landing development fronting Hull and Bainbridge streets.

churchs chicken

Church’s Chicken at 9 Jefferson Davis Highway has been shut down. (J. Elias O’Neal)

Scoring a two-piece with a honey butter biscuit just got a lot harder in Manchester.

Church’s Chicken at 9 Jefferson Davis Highway abruptly has been shut down and boarded up. Nearby business owners say the closure occurred last week.

The fast-food chicken chain has operated there since the mid-1980s, according to city records, and its closure in Manchester marks the Atlanta-based restaurant’s complete exit from the metro Richmond market. It also had a Petersburg location at 108 S. Sycamore St. that closed last month.

Calls to Church’s Chicken were not returned Monday afternoon.

The closest Church’s Chicken locations are in the Hampton Roads cities of Norfolk, Newport News and Portsmouth, according to the company’s website. It also operates a location in Washington, D.C.

The restaurant’s closure adds to Manchester’s changing landscape as new development takes hold, and the former Church’s building may be ripe for reuse. The boarded-up building sits on about a quarter-acre at the intersection of Hull Street and Jefferson Davis Highway. It adjoins a shuttered carwash on a half-acre at 17 Jefferson Davis Highway.

No plans for the site have been filed with the city for the Church’s site. Its owners, which list a mailing address in Arlington, Texas, could not be reached for comment.

The property most recently was assessed by the city at $309,000.

Activity in Manchester has remained steady as investors appear to be bullish on the neighborhood’s future, including recent commercial investments to compliment the constant wave of residential projects.

An entity tied to Midlothian-based developer Rebkee Co. in June purchased the former McDonald’s lot at 821 Hull St., according to Richmond property records.

Café Zata, which has one coffee shop in Forest Hill, is set to open its second location in the former Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting facility at 700 Bainbridge St., while more than 30,000 square feet of retail is planned in the City View Landing development fronting Hull and Bainbridge streets.

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Bruce Anderson
Bruce Anderson
6 years ago

I loved that place. We recently leased a warehouse in Manchester and Church’s Chicken was one of the draws. The eclectic clientele and terrific chicken will be missed.