Renowned New York restaurateur and founder of the Momofuku group, David Chang is deepening his footprint in Philadelphia through his fast-casual fried chicken franchise, Fuku, with the establishment of a delivery-only kitchen in partnership with Reef Neighborhood Kitchen in Northern Liberties. The Neighborhood Kitchen will be available exclusively on delivery platforms such as Doordash, Grubhub, UberEats, and Postmates. Reef Neighborhood Kitchens operates over 100 delivery-only kitchens facilities in nearly 20 cities in the United States.
Fuku has had a presence at Lincoln Financial Field for around three years, but the launch of the delivery-only kitchen opens up a whole new range of possibilities.
Fuku is the only brand currently operating out of Northern Liberties, although more brands will be added in the future. However, Grubhub lists Asian-style franchises Wow Bao and Buns & Bao, as being at the facility, though they state that the restaurant “is not accepting orders on Grubhub, but may be soon.”
Fuku is a spinoff of the culinary brand, Momofuku, which was created in 2004 by Chang in New York City with the opening of the Momofuku Noodle Bar. Momofuku has won praise across the world as it has expanded with locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney and Toronto.
Chang is also an author and the producer of eight-part Netflix documentary “Ugly Delicious,” though the public may know him more for winning $1 million on ABC’s game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” and donating the prize money to restaurant workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alex Munoz-Suarez, the CEO of Funk, said in a statement that the brand is excited about the possibilities of expanding its reach in Philadelphia. Munoz-Suarez reiterated the company’s belief that their model would allow them to deliver their products in a way that was both safe and controlled.
One of Fuku’s signature items is a spicy fried chicken sandwich, for which Stephanie Adams, the brand’s executive chef, spent a year developing a recipe. The sandwich features six ounces of antibiotic-free, organic chicken breast brined over 24 hours in the freshest habanero puree, served with Fuku mayonnaise and pickles on a potato roll.
The delivery-only kitchen also features a chicken burger (ground chicken, tomato, American cheese, lettuce, Fuku mayo and pickles on a potato roll), the C.B.R Sando (crispy chicken breast brined in habanero, buttermilk ranch, pickles and smoked bacon, on a potato roll), chicken tenders and waffle fries.
The Spring Garden Street delivery-only kitchen hub is the second Reef Neighborhood Kitchen in Northern Liberties and the sixth in Philadelphia, according to a Fuku spokeswoman.
Fuku has been expanding aggressively, establishing outlets in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., in partnership with Reef. Fuku’s delivery-only collaboration with Reef has already found a home in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida areas.
The delivery-only model aims at bringing restaurant quality food onto the quartz countertops of ordinary Americans, through the medium of delivery platforms, removing the need to go out to eat well.