It all started by sharing wicked wings under a twinkling night sky; now Tony and Jeana of The Chicken Couple have built a name for themselves. As connoisseurs of fried chicken, these lovebirds have decided to introduce the world to their seasoned tastes. NEXUS: When did you realise you had such a passion for fried chicken? CC: We’ve always known we had a soft spot for fried chicken but not until we bought a kitchen trailer (not knowing what we’re going to sell) is when we realised what our favourite dish was. Soon after researching different recipes and eating a whole lot of fried chicken, we validated how much we love creating new recipes and just how much chicken we can actually eat. Since the very beginning, Tony and I always bonded over food—who doesn’t, right? The night we met, we shared a box of fried chicken and chips from Wong’s Kitchen after an epic night at the WISA Ball. When we got together, we were still at uni. At every social gathering, our friends can always trust us to bring various kinds of chicken dishes. We usually bring fried chicken from our local takeaway shop at Knighton Road, KFC, or Wongs. Eventually, our friends dubbed us “The Chicken Couple”. The more chicken we brought, the more we realised that Hamilton has limited choices. Soon after, the local chicken spots became boring, and we decided to add our own flavour to the Tron. Hence The Chicken Couple was born. NEXUS: How’d you set up your own business? CC: Thanks to Waikato Uni, I’ve acquired some business knowledge from my BMS Honours degree in Marketing and SCM. Tony has 15 years of hospitality experience from his family having had owned a takeaway shop. We also had some help from Waikato University’s Business Start-Up Scholarship. We were granted this scholarship at the perfect time; it was when we just started the business and just bought our red kitchen trailer with all our uni savings without fully knowing what we’ll sell with it. The programme helped
us improve the foundation of our business model. We’ve also had mentors from the scholarship program and still currently have many other knowledgeable mentors who are supporting us throughout our business journey. We wouldn’t be where we are without their knowledge and wisdom. NEXUS: Any idea what KFC’s secret herb and/or spice is? CC: Not really but we didn’t need to as we wanted to be different. The whole point of us starting the business is to introduce an entirely new fried chicken recipe to the world. Tony’s family from China has a fried chicken recipe passed on from generations. He took that recipe and fused it with a Western flavour; this fusion created the unique flavour The Chicken Couple now offers. NEXUS: Any chance you’ll start catering to the hungover masses on a Sunday morning? CC: Pretty sure we’ve done that a few times for Bush Doof [laughs]. But to do that every Sunday morning could be a possibility since we are looking for a spot to park in more often in the week. So, yes, but not specifically targeting just the hungover masses but the general public. We’re all about that #familyfriendly environment. NEXUS: What student deals do you have available? CC: We’ve got the $10 Student Lunch Pack deals including: • Nuggets and Hot Chips with a drink • Bao Bun Couple with a drink • Chicken Gravy on Rice with side salad and a drink • Gravy Cheese Fries • Chicken Ranch Wrap
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