Framingham chicken scene will welcome new con-tender — this one with a Korean twist
Tom Benoit- Cluck & Crispy Chicken, a Korean fried chicken restaurant, is opening in downtown Framingham.
- This will be the restaurant's second location, with plans for further expansion in Worcester and Fitchburg.
- Cluck & Crispy joins a growing number of chicken restaurants in Framingham, most on Cochituate Road.
FRAMINGHAM — Yet another fried chicken spot is opening in Framingham, this one with a Korean twist.
Cluck & Crispy Chicken, which opened last year in Worcester, is now planning its MetroWest debut. Its plans were originally announced last year when the restaurant put up posters advertising its then-upcoming Worcester and Framingham locations.
A co-owner of the restaurant told the Daily News on Tuesday that the company decided to open in downtown Framingham, at 75 Concord St., due to the city's similarity to Worcester.
"It's the populations and the demographics there," Lin Li said.
While the Framingham restaurant will be Cluck & Crispy Chicken's second location, more are planned. The Framingham location is expected to open later this spring
“Our goal is being a chain like all the chains, that’s our goal to be like the chain restaurants with their fried chicken, that’s our goal,” Li said.
She added that a second Worcester restaurant, along with one in Fitchburg, are in the works.
Korean fried chicken — which tends to be smaller than American fried chicken, with a thin, crunchy outer layer and different seasonings — has grown in popularity in the U.S. in recent years.
Cluck & Crispy Chicken joins other Framingham chicken eateries
According to a menu posted online, Cluck & Crispy Chicken features various combo meals of fried chicken with French fries and a soft drink. Chicken is served in a bucket, both bone-in and boneless, or in a sandwich or wrap. Fried fish is also available.
Cluck & Crispy Chicken joins several other chicken-based fast food establishments opening in Framingham, although most of the others are on Cochituate Road (Route 30). Among them are Dave's Hot Chicken, which opened in July 2023; Chick-fil-A; and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Raising Cane's is also opening in Framingham, either later this month or in early May.
According to the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, Cluck & Crispy Chicken is operated by an entity called Royal Hospitality Group. Lin Li also owns Hong Kong Island Restaurant on West Boylston Street in Worcester and Sachi Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar on Union Street in Westborough.
Lin said the Framingham Cluck & Crispy Chicken is working on getting approvals from the city, but plans on opening in mid-April.