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New restaurant opens in Fayetteville amid COVID-19 pandemic

Chick'n Headz is a small family business. The owners didn't let the pandemic get in the way of their dream.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the number of coronavirus cases continuing to surge and calls for Governor Asa Hutchinson to scale things back by putting new restrictions in place, businesses are operating in a state of uncertainty right now.

Despite the pandemic, one family decided to take the risk and open up a new restaurant.

The Kendle family has dreamed of opening a restaurant for years.

Working in corporate America for companies like Walmart held them back, but recently they bravely decided to pursue that dream during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know we’re crazy, right. It was a situation. The opportunity opened up for us, we had a window of time, and we just said, why not," Natasha Kendle, co-owner Chick'n Headz, said. 

The owners have had to face many challenges.

“No banks are going to finance a new restaurant, so we basically have to come out of pocket and utilize our own resources," Natasha Kendle said.

They believed in their food and how their sauces' original recipes would set them apart from other chain restaurants.

“Actually, it’s a family recipe. I won’t take all the credit for that, but it’s something we’ve had for years in the family, and we just wanted to go ahead and share that with the world," Byron Kendle, co-owner Chick'n Headz, said.

The restaurant has only been open for about three weeks, but posts on social media and word of mouth have many people coming in, and the amazing food has them coming back for more.

If new restrictions go into effect, the Kendle's are ready to make changes.

“We’re prepared if the dining room has to close. We’re okay with that. About 80% of our volume right now is take-out so, we’ll just adjust back to that," Natasha Kendle said.

Chick'n Headz truly is a small family business the couple’s three daughters all work at the restaurant and helped build and design the space.

“Doing it as a family helps strengthen that bond, and that’s something we can look back on in the future and say we did this together as a family," Byron Kendle said.

The Kendle's want to thank the community for their support and hope to expand with more locations in Northwest Arkansas in the future.

Chick'n Headz is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Fayetteville.

For more information, click here.

RELATED: Gov. Hutchinson says businesses that sell alcohol must close by 11 p.m.

RELATED: Fayetteville officers receive Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in Policing

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