CONTRIBUTED BY
HATTIE B’S
AUBURN — Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, the nationally renowned, Nashville-based fast-casual eatery, will open at 121 N. College St. in the former home of the historic Tiger Theater in summer 2026.
“It’s a special feeling to bring Hattie B’s to a town that holds so many fond memories for our family. We can’t wait to serve a lot of chicken, pour some cold beers and roll all of the trees starting next year in the ‘The Loveliest Village on The Plains’ … War Eagle!” Hattie B’s Co-founder Nick Bishop Jr. said.
Nick Bishop Sr., also a co-founder, graduated from Auburn University in 1976, and the younger Bishop attended Auburn.
“We are incredibly excited about opening in a city we hold dear and in a treasured local landmark across from campus near Toomer’s Drugs. It doesn’t get any better than this,” the elder Bishop said.
The design of the future Hattie B’s on College Street will give a nod to the history of the building and pay tribute to its original use as a theater, the father-and-son team said.
The Auburn restaurant will span 3,685 square feet. The 2,923-square-foot dining room will offer 72 indoor seats, while a 762-square-foot covered patio at the entrance will seat an additional 52 guests.
The menu will feature Hattie B’s favorites including jumbo chicken tenders, wings, a fried or grilled chicken sandwich served on a toasted bun with coleslaw, Nashville comeback sauce and kosher pickles and a recent debut — The Southern Salad. Guests can customize their heat level, ranging from mild and medium spice levels to classic Nashville hot chicken and two hotter options, or opt for no heat with Southern style or a new non-spicy offering, Sweet & Smoky dry rub.
The menu, rooted in a traditional Tennessee meat-and-three restaurant, also features Southern sides including the popular pimento mac-and-cheese, potato salad and collard greens, with banana pudding and peach cobbler for dessert.
The Auburn location will be Hattie B’s third restaurant in Alabama. The Nashville-headquartered eatery opened its first Alabama location in Birmingham in 2016 at 2808 7th Ave. S. and will open in Huntsville later this year at 3212 Memorial Parkway SW.
About Hattie B’s Hot Chicken:
With an emphasis on quality, flavor and Southern hospitality, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken was founded in Nashville, Tenn., by father-and-son duo Nick Bishop, Sr. and Nick Bishop, Jr. in 2012. From bone-in chicken to tenders and a sandwich, heat levels include Mild, Medium, Hot, Damn Hot and the daredevil’s dream, “Shut the Cluck Up!,” a fiery blend of ghost, habanero and cayenne peppers. No matter the spice level — or no heat at all (Southern style and Sweet & Smoky dry rub) — Hattie B’s chicken is crispy, juicy and packed with flavor.
With seven restaurants in Tennessee and locations in Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Nevada, Hattie B’s has grown a devoted following. For more information, visit www.hattieb.com.
