Dining
BY JOVANNA AGUILAR
The Hot Chick ($12.99) includes Nashville hot chicken, queso, corn, cotija, lime, cilantro and Coop’s sauce.
Mother Cluckers ($14.99) includes chicken tenders, french fries, Coop’s sauce, toast and pickles.
The Lindsay Lohen ($14.99) is made with a split top bun, two fried chicken tenders, dill pickles and Coop’s sauce.
PHOTOS BY JOVANNA AGUILAR COMMUNITY IMPACT
Coop’s Hot Chicken celebrates rst year of business
Owned by the Sawyer Marketing Group and operated by Shawn Ward, Coop’s Hot Chicken opened in Montgomery County in November 2023. “All of us have been in the restaurant industry our whole life, whereas for me, my earliest memory in the world is my grandparents’ fried chicken,” Ward said. “So I have a long-standing history with fried chicken and this community.” Staying local Aside from his grandparents’ fried chicken restaurant, Ward said his experience in the industry comes from years of working at The Cheesecake Factory, Jason’s Deli and Chili’s in Montgomery County. Ward said he, along with the Sawyer Marketing Group, decided to open a fried chicken fast-food restaurant because there weren’t any other hot chicken establishments in the area. “It’s nice to start something from the ground up and actually develop these recipes ourselves, and to really kind of play in that sandbox [and] be able to feed the people that you grew up with and around.” The restaurant name is a play on “chicken coop” and a tribute to one of the owners’ sons, Ward said.
Though Coop’s Hot Chicken is known for its fried hot or spicy chicken, Ward said the restaurant is expanding its menu to o er more traditional Southern chicken and grilled chicken options. On the menu Coop’s Hot Chicken o ers four di erent spice levels made with in-house spice blends. Custom- ers can select a spice level from “wimp” to “hella heat” for menu items featuring names that give each meal a personality, Ward said. A couple popular menu items include the Lind- say Lohen, a “messy” sandwich made with a split top bun, two fried chicken tenders, dill pickles and Coop’s sauce; and the Mother Cluckers made up of four Nashville hot chicken tenders, french fries, Coop’s sauce, pickles and toast. The restaurant o ers dine-in options and to-go orders. Ward said Coop’s Hot Chicken also o ers a space for group gatherings and often holds spirit nights with local churches and schools. In addition to expanding its menu, Ward said Coop’s Hot Chicken has plans to open a second location in Montgomery County next year.
Shawn Ward is the general manager of Coop’s Hot Chicken.
Coop’s Hot Chicken is decorated with art created by a local artist.
1488
LAKE LAMOND RD.
N
2466 FM 1488, Conroe www.coopstx.com
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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