Caption: Customers line up at Yummy Hot Chicken. AZP News/Sue-Ann Wayow

Summary

• Yummy Hot Chicken, opened on January 16 on Marabella Main Road, is drawing long lines and strong social media-driven buzz.
• The outlet offers fried chicken, burgers, milk teas and fruit drinks, with customers citing competitive prices and taste as key attractions.
• Management has apologised for long wait times and the ‘Tanty and Uncle’ wording online, and plans to introduce call-in orders and delivery soon.

 

By Sue-Ann Wayow

A NEW fast-food outlet is heating up Marabella Main Road.

Yummy Hot Chicken opened less than a month ago, but it is already giving other outlets stiff competition. Since its January 16 opening, lines have stretched outside the stand-alone restaurant, with customers waiting patiently for their orders.

Speaking with AZP News, a manager said he expected the hype to die down, but interest has continued both on social media and at the restaurant. Many customers, he said, are visiting because of online promotion and word of mouth.

When AZP News visited on Tuesday, the outlet was packed. Some customers were visiting for the first time after seeing Yummy’s videos online, while nearby fast-food restaurants had very few customers.

Yummy offers fried chicken (spicy and original), New Orleans-style wings, burgers and other fast-food items, as well as Chinese milk teas and fruit drinks. There is one line for milk teas and another for food.

The manager said competitive prices are one reason customers keep coming. “From my knowledge, everybody is buying the offer with the buckets — the 10-piece,” he said.

The “Party Bucket Royale” includes four burgers, 10 pieces of chicken, two large fries, a two-litre drink and popcorn chicken for $258.

“I believe the prices are a little better and, from hearing people talk about it, they like the taste,” the manager said. “For some reason, the taste is different. There are a lot of repeat customers, and there are also customers saying they never got the chance to try it, but they are coming.”

One customer said, “Yummy chicken tastes like how (another fast food outlet) is supposed to taste.”

The manager said the milk tea line is also steady, partly because the drinks are served in a large reusable cup and are cheaper than elsewhere. “The fruit drinks are something people are also coming for,” he added.

He said some customers have told him they prefer the customer service at Yummy compared with other businesses along the stretch.

The restaurant’s owner is an established businessman with other supermarkets. Acknowledging competition in the supermarket industry, he decided to diversify into fast food.

The plan was to open from 9 am to 10 pm, but the volume of customers was not anticipated. Opening hours are now 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, but may be extended depending on how much chicken remains, so the restaurant can start with a fresh batch the following day.

On Tuesday, Yummy posted an apology on its social media page, addressing both the long wait times and its practice of referring to people online as “Tanty and Uncle.”

Yummy stated: “Several citizens have reported emotional distress after being referred to as Tanty and Uncle in our comment section. Please see this as a sign of respect.”

The manager told AZP News the intention was not to offend. “When we were younger, you were told to call others Aunty and Uncle to show respect, but now some people say they feel old when called that. Some people have a problem with it; some don’t,” he said.

Based on public feedback, he added, Yummy plans to implement call-in orders and a delivery service soon.