An unexpected, good thing to emerge from the turmoil surrounding the Bangalow Bowlo has been a new friendship and, now, a new local business.
Two relatively recent arrivals to Bangalow, Colm Dolan (hailing from Ireland) and George Williams (from England) were both involved in the early days of the community Steering Committee formed following the Bowlo’s closure. The pair had met previously, but working together on the Bowlo campaign strengthened the friendship and conversations soon turned to something else they felt Bangalow was missing: a good, affordable chicken shop.
The idea wasn’t entirely fanciful banter over a cold beer. It had legs, and as it turns out, wings. George runs a chicken wing business in Sydney, and brings 20 years of hospitality and food experience to the venture, while his new business partner fondly remembers the neighbourhood chicken shops his family regularly visited while living in Sydney.
Then came an opportunity. Tuckshop owner Sam Campbell was increasingly busy with his catering business and ready to move on from the Byron Street premises. Through a family connection with Sam, the pair heard the site might become available and struck a deal to take over the premises.
Bangalow Chicken Shop will get the keys to the former Tuckshop on 14 September, with a cosmetic renovation planned ahead of an anticipated early November opening.
The concept is deliberately simple: quality hot chicken, the best chips and a changing selection of freshly made salads and sides, with an emphasis on affordable family meals. There’ll be takeaway, but it won’t be a takeaway shop. The premises will be licensed, with customers able to sit down for a meal and share a whole chicken and sides with a beer or glass of wine for a deliciously casual dining experience with family and friends.
Big and little kids will delight in the news that a soft serve ice cream machine is also on the way.
The pair hope the shop will become a genuinely local meeting place, supporting community events and sporting clubs and offering an easy dinner option for families who don’t feel like cooking. They’re also planning local discounts and hope to employ and train young people from the area.
“We want people to come once a week because that’s what I used to do in Sydney. Our family used to go to a chicken shop at least once a week,” Colm says.
After the loss of one Bangalow gathering place, it’s rather nice to see a new one being cooked up, and after months of planning, it seems like the chickens are finally coming home to roost.