Although many chicken chains on the rise are of the crispy and fried variety, popular poultry doesn’t necessarily have to be greasy and indulgent. Fields Good Chicken is an emerging New York City-based rotisserie chicken brand well-known for its transparent ingredient sourcing policies and bright, vegetable-centric bowls.
Fields Good Chicken first opened in 2014 as a healthy lunch option alternative to the burgeoning salad chain category, with a menu based around its star chicken, which is locally sourced, antibiotic-free and humanely raised, founder and CEO Field Failing said. Rotisserie chicken bowls are topped with ingredients like house-made guacamole, sesame ginger slaw, roasted broccoli, and pickled onions, with produce being sourced from Baldor Foods.
“We always look carefully at the ingredients and what goes into [our chicken] to make sure it’s clean products,” Failing said, comparing the level of care that goes into Fields Good Chicken to an elevated, fine-dining experience.
For example, the rotisserie chicken is prepared using a multi-step process for brining and marinating the chicken, which is where most of the flavor of the chicken comes from.
“That’s the No. 1 thing for us, and 10 years down the road, it will be no less important,” he said. “One of the first things we train our staff on, which is … the most important part of everything we do here, is the key to getting the marinade and brine right, and to be really, really consistent. So that's what sets it apart in terms of flavor.”
But even though Fields Good Chicken has been known for its healthy bowls and salads for most of its existence, Failing said, the company recently began getting into fried chicken and just introduced a new fried chicken sandwich as an extension and new category to its menu.
“I felt like it was a really good way to round out our menu,” Failing said. “Most of our menu is healthy with bowls and grilled chicken and whole grains and vegetables. But there are times when you want something more indulgent. Like me, I eat healthy most of the time, but there's times when I want that chicken sandwich.”
That doesn’t mean they’re throwing all of the Fields Good rules out the window, though. The sandwich is indulgent, but elevated with clean ingredients, hand-breaded, topped with housemade aioli and Mike’s Hot Honey. Fields Good has been testing out other indulgent menu items like French fries and sweet potato fries.
Since the first store opened eight years ago, Fields Good Chicken has grown to five locations, with room for more, especially in suburban areas with families looking for a healthier alternative to drive-thru fast-food to feed their kids.
“The food tastes good and is a little more protein-forward than some of our competitors,” Failing said. “It’s a more substantial, filling meal, and that’s one of the reasons why people keep coming back.”
Vote for Fields Good Chicken in the Chicken Showdown on LinkedIn or Instagram.
Meet the other Chicken Showdown contenders here.
Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]