the chicken and the egg

Chicken salad chain spreads its wings with second San Antonio location in 2 months

A second Chicken Salad Chick location in San Antonio opens on March 8.

Photo by Sara Hanna

This Alabama chicken salad restaurant knows not to put all its eggs in one basket, so it put two in San Antonio, opening back-to-back. The first Alamo City location opened January 31, followed by the second (9610 State Highway 151 Access Road, Suite 101) on March 8. The restaurant welcomes the first 100 guests with free chicken salad for a year.

After opening day, the celebratory deals keep unfolding: Depending on what the first 50 guests on March 9, 10, and 11 buy, they can receive a small cooler, a branded tote bag, and a large cooler, respectively.

The concept is straightforward: 13 flavors of chicken salad are served on salad, on a sandwich, or to-go. These flavors include Southern twists like hickory smoked barbecue as well as more traditional combinations like egg and sweet pickle. There are also soups, sides, and desserts to round out the fast-casual deli menu.

“As Chicken Salad Chick grows throughout Texas and [farther] west, the brand never loses sight of its core values to spread joy and enrich the community," said San Antonio location co-owner Jeff Rochelle in a press release. He joins James Oberg and George Shaw in expanding the brand through San Antonio, with a goal of bringing eight Chicken Salad Chick locations to the area.

"After just a few weeks of having our doors open in Stone Oak, we have already seen these values in action," he continued. "We can’t wait to introduce more of our San Antonio neighbors to our fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch daily flavors."

A pre-opening event raised funds for The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio Foundation, CHRISTUS Health.

Chicken Salad Chick Westover Hills will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm. More information is available at chickensaladchick.com.

openings lunch delis dinner

Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

burger joint burgers closings comeback openings teddy bs