The new Bourbon Chicken Restaurant supports Dayton by staying close to home
The new Bourbon Chicken Restaurant is built upon community. With a signature line of menu items, and a desire to give back to the Dayton area, Bourbon Chicken Restaurant recently opened its doors late in May on the heels of the pandemic.
Located at 100 N. James H. McGee Blvd. in Dayton, the new restaurant specializes in offering favorites such as Bourbon Chicken Wings with a signature Boulevard Sauce, Philly Cheesesteak, burgers and salads.
“I wanted to support the community. A lot of businesses are leaving Dayton and Trotwood, but I hope to make a difference here. I wanted to invest in the community,” says owner Ali Arkan, 26, “We’re giving the community what they want, and what they are looking for. They don’t have to travel all the way to the Dayton Mall or elsewhere to grab something to eat.”
Bourbon Chicken Restaurant is the second Dayton-area eatery owned by Arkan, a Beavercreek resident, who also operates Mr. Bourbon Restaurant at 5212 Salem Ave. in Trotwood. The restaurants are less than 10 miles apart, but each of the restaurants feature a different menu. Bourbon Chicken Restaurant offers a full bar, stocked with top-shelf liquors. Both restaurants employ staff from local neighborhoods.
In addition to the top sellers like Bourbon Chicken Wings and Philly Cheesesteak, Bourbon Chicken Restaurant also features menu items such as Bourbon Chicken Salad, a Shrimp Basket and a Chicken Sandwich with Cut Fries.
Arkan says Bourbon Chicken Restaurant originally hosted a grand opening March 16. The restaurant opened for a second day March 17, then was forced to close due to the stay-at-home order issued by the governor.
“A lot of restaurants got hit hard during COVID-19. The timing was bad, because as soon as we opened, and held the grand opening, we had to shut down for over a month. You have to start all over. It’s hard for restaurants right now,” Arkan says.
Popular entrees include Bourbon Chicken with rice and potatoes and Salmon with rice and vegetables. The Loaded Baked Potato with Bourbon Chicken is also ordered frequently.
“When we opened back up mid-April, business went up. A lot of people may not have known about us, but with the shutdown, I think a lot of people started to look for new places to eat, and they have tried to support local restaurants and businesses and that’s helped a lot. Business has picked up, and week after week, we see new faces,” Arkan says.
He says local businesses are the lifeline of the community. He has lived in the Dayton area since 2010, is a 2012 graduate of Belmont High School and went on to study at Sinclair Community College. Arkan always knew he wanted to start his own business in Dayton.
“I’ve lived in this area, and I wanted to see more restaurants here. I also wanted to come up with something different,” Arkan says, “At the end of the day, when somebody comes to you and says, ‘Thank you for being here,’ and ‘We appreciate you establishing a business here,’ that’s what makes you happy and you feel like you accomplished something.”
With social distancing guidelines in place, the new restaurant seats about 40 guests inside. Carry-out is also available. Hours are noon to midnight on Monday through Thursday and noon to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. For more information, or to place an order, call 937-999-4520 or visit Bourbon Chicken Restaurant on Facebook.
