Vegan News

San Antonio's buzzy vegan fast-food chain gets a shot on Shark Tank

It really does taste just like chicken.

Project Pollo

A San Antonio restaurant concept is lining up for a crack at the startup lottery: Project Pollo, the buzzy fast-casual vegan chick'n chain, will be featured on Shark Tank, the ABC reality show where entrepreneurs pitch their business idea to the deep-pocketed "sharks" in the hopes of luring investment startup funds.

According to a release, Project Pollo CEO & founder Lucas Bradbury will appear solo on the episode on May 20 at 7 pm. It's also the series' season finale.

"We were beyond excited when we received the opportunity to film for the show and to receive valuable feedback from such a talented group of sharks!" Bradbury says in a statement. "Project Pollo is here to show the world that the future of mass consumption is plant-based."

Bradbury founded Project Pollo in 2020 as a concept that's just like a fast-food chicken restaurant in every way except the menu is entirely vegan.

The menu features vegan chicken sandwiches, wraps, and strips, plus sides including crispy papas, aka french fries, smothered in cashew queso, and mac & cheese, which you can get plain or topped with chicken nuggets.

They also have indulgent burgers and decadent milkshakes.

Project Pollo is out to change the face of the fast-food industry by offering affordable, delicious, convenient access to high-quality plant-based options for everyone from vegans to curious carnivores.

They currently have 11 locations across San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas, some with drive-thrus. And 2022 is shaping up to be a busy year: They opened a location in Dallas on Greenville Avenue in February, and another in Round Rock in April, with more locations coming this summer including San Marcos, Corpus Christi, and two more locations in Austin.

At this rate, their goal of having 100 stores open by 2024 seems more than viable.

In addition to its plant-based mission, Project Pollo also emphasizes fair wages, people over profit, and sustainability, which is something a lot of restaurants talk about but that Project Pollo actually does, using paper-based packaging and compostable utensils.

While the release does not reveal the outcome of the show, the odds seem high that the concept might attract interest from Shark Tank star Mark Cuban, who himself follows a vegetarian diet and has made numerous investments in vegan brands such as Everything Legendary vegan burgers; Numilk, a machine that creates plant-based milks; and Mrs. Goldfarb's Unreal Deli vegan deli meats.

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Back to the Basics

Famous San Antonio chicken brand returns to original recipe from 1952

Church's Texas Chicken/Instagram

Church's Texas Chicken is bringing back its recipe — not that it's been gone very long.

A San Antonio staple that's become world famous is going back to its roots. Church's Texas Chicken is bringing back its original recipe, which was originally developed in 1952, with a few tweaks.

According to a news release, the "rejuvenated" recipe now includes richer spices. The chicken is marinated — to the bone, it assures — then hand-battered and breaded, resulting in a crispy texture. It also emphasizes that only one "batter" and one breader is needed, which it says makes for a more consistent product.

It's not clear exactly when the chain moved away from its original recipe, but it must have been fairly recent; it was still boasting that the recipe had never changed as late as 2018. In 2019, it underwent a rebrand that added "Texas" as a "middle name" to signify its origins.

Although Church's started in San Antonio — and it still has Texas right in the middle of its name — it's now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. That's because the brand was purchased by a different chicken company that was already located there.

“This return is not only a return to our roots, but also a strategic move to drive our business forward," said CEO said Joe Guith. "We’re confident that our guests will enjoy our exceptional recipe and iconic flavor, fueling our growth and success.”

George W. Church was the originator of the recipe. The first restaurant was located across from The Alamo, but now there are more than 1,500 stores worldwide.

Church's Texas Chicken retro exterior What Church's used to look like.Photo courtesy of Church's Texas Chicken

Despite more than 70 years in business, Church's has kept its menu simple. Some chicken is served on the bone, and some as tenders; some goes on a sandwich, and that's about it for variations on the main offering. Sides switch things up a bit, but still stick to fries or Southern classics like mashed potato, mac and cheese, corn, and fried okra, among others.

This doesn't mean the chain hasn't innovated. In 2024 it was featured on a Hulu docuseries called Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People. Over two episodes, it put out a call for a proprietary pepper to claim for a new ridiculously hot sauce. That became the "signature" hot sauce made with red chili peppers, red bell peppers, habanero, and roasted garlic.

However, it sounds like nothing can beat the classics for a brand that's banking on nostalgia.

"We’re excited to bring back our OG recipe to satisfy our guests' cravings for even more flavor, ensuring every bite is infused with our blend of spices our guests love," said the brand's corporate head chef Kevin Houston. "We extend a warm welcome to those who haven’t visited our restaurants in a while to rediscover our legendary chicken.”

More information about Church's Texas Chicken is available at churchs.com.

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