Brett Diehl’s planning to open the wing joint this spring. (Photos by Mike Platania)
A new chicken wing joint is coming to roost in the Fan.
The Cocky Rooster is preparing to open at 2523 W. Main St.
The restaurant will offer wings, tenders, a chicken sandwich and vegetarian wings.
Florida native Brett Diehl is behind the concept.
After getting degrees from the University of Central Florida in finance and international business about seven years ago, Diehl moved to Richmond and got started in the local restaurant industry. He moved up from bartender to operations manager, and said he’d always had an idea to own his own wing spot.
“It was just my love of chicken wings growing up,” Diehl said of his inspiration. “My dad’s so meticulous how he cooks them and makes his own sauces from scratch, so I’ve always been inspired by that.
“I wanted to bring something unique. A lot of restaurants have chicken wings, but there’s no chicken wing restaurant.”
The space had been vacant for years after hair salon Images closed.
Diehl leased the roughly 1,100-square-foot space that is adjacent to 3 Monkeys Bar & Grill. It was formerly home to Images hair salon, and was known for its bright yellow and blue facade. The building has since been repainted.
Diehl said the concept will be primarily to-go and for delivery, with a window-facing ledge for a small dine-in area. He said The Cocky Rooster will make its own rubs and sauces from scratch every morning.
“We’ve probably tasted so far like 35 sauces in R&D. We’ll cut that down but I want to have a really nice selection,” Diehl said. “We’ll do fun, weird, funky stuff too. Like we’ve tested an orange teriyaki and a salted caramel bourbon — stuff that’s outside your usual mild-medium-hot.”
The restaurant will have a hip-hop theme as well, with menu items named after old songs and artists, and a neon sign on the interior referencing Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day.”
The restaurant’s logo features a rooster wearing a gold chain.
The Cocky Rooster will sell beer and wine to go and dine-in as well, and Diehl said he plans to have a freezer full of Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches.
It’ll be open for lunch and dinner, with plans to serve the late-night crowd on weekends.
“The idea is to be open until 3 a.m. on weekends,” Diehl said. “But if Richmond wants 3 a.m. chicken wings seven days a week, we’ll do it.”
Michael Pellis Architecture is the architect and Eagle Construction is the general contractor renovating the space. Work began last month, and Diehl said he’s shooting for an April or May opening.
Diehl also has tapped Ross Trimmer of Sure Hand Signs to paint two murals in the restaurant.
Another new arrival to the neighborhood is Capitol Market Cafe, which opened in the fall in the former Black Swan Books space at 2601 W. Main St.
Brett Diehl’s planning to open the wing joint this spring. (Photos by Mike Platania)
A new chicken wing joint is coming to roost in the Fan.
The Cocky Rooster is preparing to open at 2523 W. Main St.
The restaurant will offer wings, tenders, a chicken sandwich and vegetarian wings.
Florida native Brett Diehl is behind the concept.
After getting degrees from the University of Central Florida in finance and international business about seven years ago, Diehl moved to Richmond and got started in the local restaurant industry. He moved up from bartender to operations manager, and said he’d always had an idea to own his own wing spot.
“It was just my love of chicken wings growing up,” Diehl said of his inspiration. “My dad’s so meticulous how he cooks them and makes his own sauces from scratch, so I’ve always been inspired by that.
“I wanted to bring something unique. A lot of restaurants have chicken wings, but there’s no chicken wing restaurant.”
The space had been vacant for years after hair salon Images closed.
Diehl leased the roughly 1,100-square-foot space that is adjacent to 3 Monkeys Bar & Grill. It was formerly home to Images hair salon, and was known for its bright yellow and blue facade. The building has since been repainted.
Diehl said the concept will be primarily to-go and for delivery, with a window-facing ledge for a small dine-in area. He said The Cocky Rooster will make its own rubs and sauces from scratch every morning.
“We’ve probably tasted so far like 35 sauces in R&D. We’ll cut that down but I want to have a really nice selection,” Diehl said. “We’ll do fun, weird, funky stuff too. Like we’ve tested an orange teriyaki and a salted caramel bourbon — stuff that’s outside your usual mild-medium-hot.”
The restaurant will have a hip-hop theme as well, with menu items named after old songs and artists, and a neon sign on the interior referencing Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day.”
The restaurant’s logo features a rooster wearing a gold chain.
The Cocky Rooster will sell beer and wine to go and dine-in as well, and Diehl said he plans to have a freezer full of Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches.
It’ll be open for lunch and dinner, with plans to serve the late-night crowd on weekends.
“The idea is to be open until 3 a.m. on weekends,” Diehl said. “But if Richmond wants 3 a.m. chicken wings seven days a week, we’ll do it.”
Michael Pellis Architecture is the architect and Eagle Construction is the general contractor renovating the space. Work began last month, and Diehl said he’s shooting for an April or May opening.
Diehl also has tapped Ross Trimmer of Sure Hand Signs to paint two murals in the restaurant.
Another new arrival to the neighborhood is Capitol Market Cafe, which opened in the fall in the former Black Swan Books space at 2601 W. Main St.
This is a concept that has been missing from the Carytown/Fan area for a long time. Best of luck Brett! I can’t wait for it to open so I can “get some wings and fly”!
I hope it lasts longer than Mean Bird. I never even got in as by the times the opening crowds stopped, they closed.
I never found Mean Bird hard to get. It wasn’t very good though, anytime I got it, so I wasn’t inspired to try often.
Mean bird was on Main St for over 2 years and the business was around for 4 years total before closing since the owners wanted a life outside of their business. I’m not sure how accurate the comparison is because Mean Bird was quite successful.
I was somewhat interested till I saw vegetarian wings, going to stick to the Korean place in Highland Park, good luck though
How does a place having vegetarian wings completely change your opinion if you’re obviously just going to be eating their chicken, anyway? Is it a vegetarian wings = sucky “real” wings thing? Or is it the potential of sharing a space with a vegetarian that bothers you? Can’t be either of those, right? Those mentalities are far too fragile and petty, considering vegetarians deserve at least an option or two when they want to go out to eat also, right? I should give you the benefit of the doubt, at least. Hopefully you’re just extremely allergic to tofu. But help… Read more »
Hate to be stereotypical, but chicken wings and hip hop… I’m there..