VIVA Chicken, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based fast-casual Peruvian rotisserie joint, today announced a lease signing for its first Columbia, South Carolina restaurant. Known for serving the hottest, freshest chicken, VIVA’s Columbia restaurant announcement comes on the heels of opening locations in nearby Greenville and Summerville, South Carolina.
Slated to open in early 2023, VIVA Chicken will occupy 2,850 square feet within Harbison Center, located at 275 Harbison Boulevard, just off Interstate 26. With a variety of ways to VIVA, the restaurant offers convenient ordering options, including online at VIVAChicken.com, via the VIVA mobile app (available on Google Play and the Apple App Store), as well as curbside pick-up and delivery.
Founded by Chef Bruno Macchiavello and Randy Garcia in 2013, the star of VIVA’s menu is Pollo a la Brasa – the hottest, freshest chicken – a staple of Peruvian street food, made from Chef Bruno’s family recipe. To complement its charcoal-fire-roasted chicken, VIVA also prepares three Peruvian sauces daily at each restaurant – Aji Amarillo (Mild, Yellow), Huacatay (Medium, Green) and Rocoto (Hot, Red).
Flavorful juices like Maracuya (Passion Fruit Juice), Herbal Limeade and Peruvian favorite Chicha Morada (made from Peruvian Purple Corn, Cinnamon, Clove, Pineapple, Apple and Limes) are made-in-house each day. The VIVA Chicken menu also includes freshly-prepared soups, salads, sandwiches, bowls and a variety of signature sides. While VIVA specializes in the hottest, freshest chicken, the restaurant also serves a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes, as well as gluten-free and dairy-free options full of flavor.
“We’re very intentional with our expansion plans, targeting markets in close proximity to other restaurants to ensure our guests receive the freshest Pollo a la Brasa from Chef Bruno’s family recipes and impeccable service,” says Gerald Pulsinelli, VIVA Chicken CEO. “Columbia is a market we’ve had our eye on for some time, and we’re excited to add it to our roster of South Carolina locations. We see lots of guests at our other restaurants who are visiting from the Columbia area and we’re thrilled to bring a VIVA location closer to them.”
In December, VIVA Chicken opened its 14th location at Nexton Village in Summerville, just outside Charleston, South Carolina. The Peruvian rotisserie joint’s 15th restaurant is slated to open in Greenville, South Carolina in early 2022, marking the second VIVA Chicken location in the upstate. VIVA also recently announced it will open its first three Atlanta-area locations over the next 12 months.
Through its VIVA Cares program, VIVA Chicken integrates into the local communities it serves, supporting local non-profit organizations and its broader national program with No Kid Hungry. Since beginning its partnership, VIVA Chicken has raised nearly $60,000 for No Kid Hungry.
