After ten years, the much-loved Chick ‘N Sours has announced the closure of its two physical restaurants in Haggerston and Seven Dials.

Chick ‘N Sours, co founded by David Wolanski and Carl Clarke, earned a loyal following with its punchy, flavour-packed fried chicken and good-times ethos.

The menu centred around fried chicken - crisp, succulent, and often served with house-made glazes such as Korean gochujang or dry spice blends that showcased a balance of heat, sweetness, and umami.

One of the restaurant’s signature offerings was the Hot Chicken Bun, a carefully composed sandwich featuring fried chicken thigh, house pickles, slaw, and a piquant sauce.

However, the brand will live on through pop-ups, festivals, delivery platforms, and residencies.

Co-founder David took to social media with an emotional message, revealing that Sunday marked their final day of trading.

A post on social media read: “Hello, it’s with mixed emotions I’m here to tell you that we have closed our Chick ‘N Sours restaurants in Seven Dials and Haggerston.

“Sunday night was our last day of trading. We do what we do because we love it, fuelled by passion and a desire to provide guests with awesome food and memorable dining experiences. But that’s not enough these days.

“We hung in there as long as we could but I’m afraid that we’ve now reached the point where operating the two restaurants just isn’t viable any more and it makes no commercial sense to continue.

"The casual dining restaurant model is broken, but that’s for another post. It’s been an incredible journey from when Carl & I came up with the idea of opening the best chicken shop in the world 10 years ago on the back of my scooter. We scraped together what limited funds we had to open Haggerston and go on this wild roller coaster of a trip.

“I can’t thank every one of you enough who has shown Chick ‘N Sours love & support over the past decade.

“Our little chicken shop has resonated with so many people and, even though

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we’re closing the restaurants, we’re proud to have built a brand that’s been able to put a smile on so many faces for over a decade. It’s a time to celebrate what we achieved rather than be sad about what we’ve lost. I’ve just had to let all our team know about this situation and that was the toughest part, that I was dreading the most.

“We’ve worked with so many incredible people on this journey who have consistently gone above and beyond to give you the Chick ‘N Sours experience. Right now we have some brilliant people, front of house and kitchen, who will be looking for work, so if you’re a company who cares about their people and are recruiting, please drop us a line and we’ll create a list of contacts for our team to get in touch with and, hopefully, find a happy home. We’re going to miss our local communities in both Haggerston and Seven Dials but this isn’t the end of the story.

“We’ve spent 10 years building this baby and we’re not done yet. The brand you’ve shown so much love for will continue to live on through live events, festivals, pop ups, residencies like Roof East and Corner Corner, as well as on delivery platforms. This will enable us to reach more of you than we could with just with two bricks-and-mortar restaurants.

“It actually feels a bit like a full circle as Chick ‘N Sours was born after a chance meeting of two crazy cats at a festival back in 2011. If you do see us on the scene this Summer, please do come say hi, grab some chicken, ink yourself with a C’n’S tattoo and let’s keep the Chick ‘N Sours vibe alive.

“Remember, there are so many awesome independent restaurants out there doing great things but finding it tough out there also. We know things are tight for everyone but they need you. Go see them and spend your money with them, as the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ has never been so relevant.”

Written by Abi Kinsella

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