Restaurant & Character Design

Artwork & Interior Design by Sam Kirk
Written works & character development by Lauren Buckley

Sam Kirk & The Art of Chicken

Which came first, the chicken or the art?

It turns out that question is just as difficult to answer as the age-old query about the egg. But walking into Art of Chicken––which opened this February in Bucktown––it’s hard to take note of the vibrant, rainbow-hued chickens that grace the walls and menu board––their cartoon-like faces gazing at you quizzically, suspiciously even, as if they know why you’ve come––without wondering what brain they hatched from.

Art of Chicken chef inspired by family

For Christian Moreno, the key to opening his first restaurant was sticking to what he knew: the recipes he grew up with and the neighborhood he grew up in.

Inspired by the dinners shared by his Mexican-immigrant family, the 30-year-old lifelong Bucktown resident opened The Art of Chicken, a Latin-infused fast-casual spot at 2041 N. Western Ave. last month.

Bucktown Chicken Specialists Plotting Return After 2017 Fire

Nearly two years since a fire forced his restaurant to close in Bucktown, the owner of Art of Chicken is making plans for a return. Owner Christian Moreno is targeting an early summer reopening for his restaurant that’s been closed since an August 25, 2017 fire broke out on the roof. He originally hoped to be open in early 2018, but the insurance process took much longer than he anticipated.

Art of Chicken is a restaurant specializing in grilled birds and it debuted in 2013 at 2041 N. Western Avenue. Moreno started out as a food truck owner serving pollo al carbon that’s marinated overnight.

Bucktown Chicken Specialists Plotting Return After 2017 Fire

Nearly two years since a fire forced his restaurant to close in Bucktown, the owner of Art of Chicken is making plans for a return. Owner Christian Moreno is targeting an early summer reopening for his restaurant that’s been closed since an August 25, 2017 fire broke out on the roof. He originally hoped to be open in early 2018, but the insurance process took much longer than he anticipated.

Art of Chicken is a restaurant specializing in grilled birds and it debuted in 2013 at 2041 N. Western Avenue. Moreno started out as a food truck owner serving pollo al carbon that’s marinated overnight.

Flame-Broiled Chicken Tops a Very Simple Menu at New Bucktown Restaurant

A couple of years in the making, the small storefront features wooden floors, exposed brick and large windows that open onto the sidewalk and give the feel of a chicken coop, right down to the authentic chicken wire that separates the front counter from the dining area.