New restaurant brings spice to downtown Ypsi

By Charnika Jett
Aug. 24, 2009    ·    10:04 a.m.

A spicy chicken recipe that has left down south resident’s mouths watering for the past three decades has arrived in Ypsilanti.

Kory’s Krispy Krunchy Chicken, which opened Wednesday, features a Cajun chicken recipe that derives from Louisiana. In addition to chicken, the menu also includes other New Orleans favorites like Jambalaya and fried corn on the cob.

Cory Barden, a Canton resident who has always enjoyed cooking fried chicken, manages this family-owned business.

“I have been cooking chicken all my life,” Barden said. “When I was going to college at Ferris State [University], I was the cook and ironically, we ate fried chicken every night for dinner.”

Barden, a worker at an automotive supply company decided to open up a chicken business once his company started downsizing. Instead of thinking negatively about his future at his job, Barden thought this was the perfect opportunity to fulfill his dream.

“I thought that [this is a] business that I could be successful because it’s something that I like to do and don’t mind [doing],” he said. “So I put my best foot forward, and a lot of things came together for me.”

The first thing that came together for Barden was the location. Barden knew that he wanted to open his business in Ypsilanti after attending both and Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University several years ago.

“I wanted to be in Ypsilanti because I was familiar with the area,” he said. “To me the atmosphere is always great around college towns. It’s always a good mix of people. You got the students and people who have been here for years.”

After requesting a location on Washtenaw, Barden’s real estate agent decided to show him the old location that housed a popular chicken wing restaurant just two years ago.

“I saw and I said ‘It has a kitchen!’” Barden recalled. “He told me that Buffalo Wild Wings used to be here and I felt that was a plus.”

After the location was secured, Barden had to find exactly how he was going to sell chicken. After doing research, Barden found out about Krispy Krunchy Chicken and realized that is has been a favorite of Down South for almost 30 years.

“We have recipes that have been created by Krispy Krunchy Chicken,” Barden said. “They have fined turned their products so now they have it out as a brand.”

“Chicken is chicken and anybody can fry it, but we have a Cajun flavor that has just a little bit of spice in it, you can taste it when you bite it, but it doesn’t linger on and it doesn’t burn your mouth,” Barden said.

Barden also decided to go with the Krispy Krunchy brand because their business let’s the owner add to their menu if they like and that’s something that Barden plans to do with the input of the community.

Barden said if there’s a side dish that a customer would like to see on the menu, let him know.

"We're a family-owned business that’s going to incorporate itself into the community, please give us a suggestion on how to expand and provide service,” Barden said.

Kory’s Krispy Krunchy Chicken is located at 124 Pearl St. Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call Barden at (734) 484-4443.