Farm Birds makes its Atlanta debut this week as the newest ghost kitchen from ethical restaurant group, Farm Burger. Available for pickup, delivery or in-store at the restaurant’s Buckhead location, the Farm Birds menu will feature pasture-raised, heirloom chicken sandwiches that are accented with Southern flavors.
Crafted from breading to bun by Farm Burger head chef Cameron Thompson, and Atlanta-based chefs Dan Latham and Nick Melvin, the menu features a lineup of three simple sandwiches that pack a punch: The Original Southern Style, Atlanta Lemon Pepper Wet, and Nashville Hot. Each piece of chicken is brined in sweet tea, breaded in a proprietary flour and spice mixture, then fried. The butter brioche buns are sourced locally from Masada Bakery, and each sandwich is served with sliced pickles and a side of chopped coleslaw.
“The pandemic kicked our creativity up a notch and Farm Birds is a direct result of that,” says George Frangos, co-founder of Farm Burger. “What started as an idea about seven years ago has come to life in the form of a ghost kitchen, pop-up and delivery service all rolled into one. Nobody in Atlanta is serving a chicken sandwich on this level right now and we’re excited to fill that gap at an affordable price point.”
In keeping with Farm Burger’s commitment to serving 100% grassfed beef, Farm Birds will offer pasture-raised heirloom poultry through its partnership with Cooks Venture. Led by CEO and founder Matthew Wadiak, Cooks Venture raises heirloom, slow growth chickens on pasture in Northwest Arkansas. They engage with regional crop farmers to help them transition to regenerative farming systems, proven to create healthy soil, in growing their non-GMO feed. In pursuing their mission, Cooks Venture has created much more: a chicken yielding strikingly better taste for consumers, markedly improved animal welfare for their birds, strong natural pathogenic resistance for food systems, new demand for regenerative agricultural crops and better economics for farmers and employees.
“At Cooks Venture, we’re passionately committed to strengthening our regional food system through regenerative agriculture while providing food that is unparalleled in quality and taste,” Wadiak says. “We’re eager for locals to taste the difference in our breed of bird and we’re proud to partner with like-minded companies like Farm Burger.”
The partnership between Farm Birds and Cooks Venture can be traced back more than 20 years when Frangos and Wadiak worked together at a restaurant in New York City early in their careers. Now, after reconnecting in the midst of a pandemic, the pair are joining forces to bring the innovative concept to Atlanta.
“When you make it a priority to do right by people and the planet in this industry, your path is probably going to intersect with like-minded people,” Frangos says. “Our relationship with Cooks Venture has been cultivated for years and it’s been cool to watch it come full circle through Farm Birds.”
