Carla Hall Opens DC Fried Chicken Spot
Celebrity chef Carla Hall's new Southern Fried Chicken spot opens March 16 at 303 Pennsylvania Ave SE in DC's old Good Stuff location. The first 100 guests get free OG Bumble chicken sandwiches or nugs, with menus already shared on social. This marks Hall's latest venture into the fast-casual chicken space.
This isn't Carla Hall's first foray into the world of fried chicken; she previously opened Carla Hall's Southern Kitchen in Brooklyn, New York, in 2016. The restaurant, a "love letter to Nashville," specialized in Nashville-style hot chicken and Southern sides based on her family recipes. However, the Brooklyn establishment closed its doors in 2017. Hall, a Nashville native, has a long-standing connection to Washington, D.C. She attended Howard University, where she earned a degree in accounting before embarking on a career as a model in Europe. It was her time abroad that ignited her passion for cooking, leading her to return to the U.S. and enroll in L'Academie de Cuisine in Maryland for her culinary training. Before her television fame on shows like "Top Chef" and "The Chew," Hall honed her skills in several professional kitchens around the D.C. area. She served as a Sous Chef at the Henley Park Hotel and as Executive Chef at The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club. She is also the culinary ambassador for the Sweet Home Café at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. For her new venture, Bumblebirds, Hall is partnering with the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, a well-known D.C. hospitality team. The group is operated by CEO Micheline Mendelsohn and her brother, Spike Mendelsohn, who also competed on "Top Chef." Sunnyside is the force behind popular local eateries such as Good Stuff Eatery, Santa Rosa Taqueria, and We The Pizza.
