Spicy chicken joint

TikTok-famed hot halal chicken chain The Red Chickz pecks into Carrollton

Dipping hot chicken into sauce is a big thing at The Red Chickz.

Facebook/The Red Chickz

A California hot chicken chain that's famous for being TikTok-famous is making its Dallas-Fort Worth debut in Carrollton. Called The Red Chickz, it will open at 3204 E. Hebron Pkwy. #220, Carrollton, on Saturday, July 25.

This will be The Red Chickz's second location in Texas, following a restaurant in Cypress, outside Houston.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2018, The Red Chickz serves 100 percent halal chicken with a California twist on Nashville hot chicken, says a release. Halal refers to the method in which the chicken are slaughtered, one that focuses on humane treatment of animals, cleanliness, and acknowledging the value of life.

The Red Chickz menu features chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, tacos, and loaded fries, with seven spice levels ranging from no heat to extra hot.

Their signature item is the Honey Butter Sandwich, which pairs a Nashville hot chicken breast with honey butter, pickles, and slaw on a brioche bun. Other menu standouts include a French Toast Sandwich, Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos, cauliflower for vegetarians, plus sides such as cheese curds, corn ribs, mac and cheese, and seasoned fries.

They also offer a range of sauces for dipping, including Comeback Sauce, Honey Butter, Smoky Honey Mustard, and Homemade Buffalo Sauce.

The Carrollton restaurant is owned by franchisee Nazar Osman, an entrepreneur from Northeast Africa, who moved to the United States in 1992. He says he plans to open two more locations around Dallas.

CEO and co-founder Shawn Lalehzarian says the success of the Cypress restaurant made expanding further into Texas a logical decision.

"The incredible response we've seen in Cypress confirmed Texans have a strong appetite for bold flavors, quality food, and memorable dining experiences," he says in a release. "As the Dallas-Fort Worth region continues to attract new residents, businesses, and investment from across the country, Carrollton is a natural next step for our expansion."

Part of the chain's appeal comes from its modern social media strategy. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, The Red Chickz built its brand through TikTok videos showcasing the crunch, texture, and spice of its chicken, often tapping into viral trends and encouraging customers to create their own content.

Some (ie, those who don't work in traditional media) might say the strategy has paid off: The chain has amassed more than 1.2 million TikTok followers and recently was named a finalist for the 2026 Chicken Marketer of the Year award.

Similarly, their strategy to build buzz around the Carrollton store seems to have been to invite influencers to post videos of chicken being dipped in giant buckets of sauce, like this one and this one and this one and this one. Yummy!

To celebrate the grand opening in Carrollton, the first 150 customers on July 25 and 26 will receive a free Honey Butter Sandwich with a purchase, and all guests will get 25 percent off their order during opening weekend. Sauce for everyone!

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Beignet News

Cafe La Faye charms McKinney with New Orleans coffee and beignets

Cafe La Faye

Coffee and beignets at Cafe La Faye.

A new coffee shop is bringing Dallas-Fort Worth an authentic NOLA-style experience: The shop is called Cafe La Faye, and it's summoning that Big Easy spirit with the classic combination of coffee and beignets, the pillowy fried pastry that's a signature of New Orleans.

The family-owned spot just opened in McKinney at 407 E. Louisiana St., in the historic McKinney Flour Mill building, with a stated goal to deliver a New Orleans experience that immerses you in Southern and French Quarter culture.

The cafe is from Ben Tapper, a native of Baton Rouge who left his job at Boeing to fulfill his passion for hospitality. He started out doing Cafe La Faye as a mobile concept in 2025, and was pleasantly surprised to discover there was a big demand.

"My whole family grown up in the South — my aunt lives on Magazine Street in New Orleans," Tapper says.

He started out roasting coffee, and it grew from there. They roast all their own coffee beans in-house — sourced from suppliers such as Coffee Bean Corral and Rancher Wholesale — which their use for beverages and also sell the beans retail.

"We started with drip coffee, paired with New Orleans-style beignets," he says.

You can order the beignets with powdered sugar or with Nutella or strawberry preserves on the side, three to an order for $6. They prepare them to order, to deliver a crisp golden outside and soft, airy inside.

In addition to beignets, they offer pastries from indies such as Baked By Bekah, a cottage baker in Melissa. There are also espresso drinks, cold brew, and ice cream from Henry's Ice Cream in Plano, as well as a big selection of gluten-free goods — made by Tapper's mother.

"My mom is Faye — she's the inspiration," Tapper says. "She started a cottage bakery business back in Baton Rouge, doing gluten-free cookies and cakes, so we offer her goods like gluten-free brownies, lemon loaf, and blueberry muffins."

The piece de resistance is the beignet cinnamon roll, made from their beignet dough, with brown sugar and cinnamon, and topped with Mama Faye's secret buttercream frosting.

Hanging out is encouraged, and there's a separate area for kids.

"There's a lot of transplants from Louisiana who live here, and we found there was a strong desire for that kind of Southern hospitality — for a beignet and coffee shop that makes people feel like they're sitting in Cafe du Monde, fulfilling that French quarter vibe they miss," Tapper says. "That's why we do it — it brings joy to people."

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