Gulfport Chicken Salad Chick opening day announced with D’Iberville Zaxby’s soon after
The opening date of Aug. 4 has been announced for Chicken Salad Chick in Gulfport, and the new Zaxby’s in D’Iberville will open right behind it.
J. Hudson Sandefur, who operates several restaurants on the Coast and Bruce Ratcliffe, his partner with Chicken Salad Chick in D’Iberville, are opening the Chicken Salad Chick in Gulfport. It is the eighth in the chain in Mississippi.
Ratcliffe worked for Sandefur for 13 years at Zaxby’s in Baldwin County, Alabama, before joining him in the ownership group for Chicken Salad Chick.
Sandefur is opening the Zaxby’s restaurant in D’Iberville with David Marks, who also is his partner in the Gulfport Zaxby’s.
That location is also scheduled to open in August on Promenade Parkway in D’Iberville.
Extensive renovations are being done at the Chicken Salad Chick to make it as “chicky” as possible, Sandefur said. It will have a dining room with chicken accents and socially distanced tables, along with a drive-thru window.
The Coast’s first Chicken Salad Chick opened in D’Iberville in 2018. On the menu are 15 original flavors of chicken salad made fresh daily. The salads come in traditional Southern style, fruity, spicy or savory, plus a seasonal salad and the specialty of the store.
“D’Iberville is a booming market and has been for a long time,” Sandefur said in December when he announced a new Zaxby’s restaurant coming adjacent to The Promenade in D’Iberville. “They don’t have enough choices,” he said, “and Zaxby’s is going to be a good fit.”
The restaurant chain is billed as an alternative to fast food. The menu features hand-breaded chicken fingers prepared when the customer orders, plus salads, Cajun club and other sandwiches, appetizers and party platters.
Zaxby’s also will have a drive-thru window, he said.
Sandefur said he went forward with the restaurant openings despite the uncertainty of what the coronavirus pandemic would mean for the restaurant industry.
“We’re not changing any plans. We’re still moving toward opening both locations,” he said.
Chicken Salad Chick in D’Iberville was open during the entire shutdown, he said, with takeout, delivery and curbside service. The dining room is now back open.
Zaxby’s in Gulfport also continues to operate at the drive-thru, he said.
“We very much appreciate the support during the past couple of months,” Sandefur said. “We were able to stay in business and keep our employees employed.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 5:50 AM.
