Why You Need to Experience Mico’s Hot Chicken Right Now

By StoryStudio on Nov. 14, 2023

In recent years, the advent of the Nashville hot chicken sandwich has taken the world of foodies by storm. For Houston’s latest and greatest culinary destination, the aim in tackling such a famous entrée is to create a memorable experience. And boy do they ever deliver! As a part of a series from Coors Light that aims to bring Houston’s most inspirational black-owned businesses to the limelight, this is why Houstonians should add Mico’s Hot Chicken to their list of places to try in H-Town.

“It’s all about the spice and fun,” says owner and founder Kimico Frydenlund, better known to everyone as Mico. “Our customers enjoy challenging themselves on what heat level they can handle, and they’ll challenge their friends and loved ones to who can eat the hottest.”

For hungry guests, this means they’re able to walk into the restaurant with a ready-made conversation starter. By the time they leave, the entire party will have a memory they can share and laugh about.

Mico’s love of spicy food started at an early age. When she discovered hot chicken, her mind was unable to grasp why she had never of this special combination before.

“I grabbed my husband and children and took a flight to Nashville to explore hot chicken from the source,” she says. “That trip changed my life as it placed a desire in me to conjure up my own hot chicken spot.”

“IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SPICE AND FUN”

HOUSTON FIRST, AMERICA NEXT

Before flinging open the doors of their popular brick and mortar location in The Heights, Mico’s began like many businesses with nothing more than a food truck. In addition to their restaurant, they currently have a food truck in Willowbrook, and their immediate goal is to operate an entire fleet locally.

“We’re planning on rolling out five food trucks across the city,” Mico says. “If a truck location does well, we’ll consider placing a brick and mortar in that area. We have a very lofty goal to become America’s Hot Chicken, but first, we must conquer Houston.”

For Mico, her husband Chris and their three kids, the Bayou City will always be home, especially since “the food scene in Houston is unmatched.”

“There’s no other city with the variety of food offerings we have available,” she says. “The Heights is the cool kid on the block. It’s a destination within Houston itself as there are so many restaurants, bars and family-friendly activities. It was a no-brainer to place our first brick and mortar [here].”

AN INSPIRATION TO ALL WOMEN

It’s extremely important to Mico that companies like Coors Light continue to highlight success stories from women who have built their business from scratch – without a wealthy background, while also being a minority – because that provides an example to other women and girls that they too can make their dreams a reality.

“With a little grit, courage and determination, anyone has the chance to change not only their own lives, but influence others as well,” Mico states.

The pinnacle of her success so far was when the city of Houston rewarded Mico’s Hot Chicken with its own day, March 30. As they keep growing, this remains one of Mico’s top highlights, proving her hometown has embraced the flavor profile just as she imagined people here would.

“Consumers value convenience, and the concept of a great cocktail in the convenience of a can was a fantastic idea. But what the market gave us instead were low quality diet mocktails. We understand there’s a buyer for low calorie, low ABV beverages,” CEO Josh Sanders admits, “but we have also never seen anyone order a cocktail at a bar, and ask how many calories are in it. There is more than one consumer to serve here. Buyers are graduating from cheap seltzers to discover they can have a real craft quality cocktail that goes anywhere. That’s our customer, and that’s our mandate”.

“I RECOMMEND PEOPLE DEFINITELY GET THE HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH A LITTLE COLESLAW TO MAKE IT MORE AUTHENTIC TO THE NASHVILLE WAY”

FIRST CUSTOMER MAKES A LASTING IMPACT

It didn’t take long for Houston’s #1 influencer of black-owned restaurants to discover the magic of Mico’s Hot Chicken. 3 years ago, when Mico’s first opened up shop at the Galleria Food Truck Park, KeAndre of the Instagram handle MySouthernBrand was one of their first customers.

“To watch them go from a little white trailer with about 10-20 customers a day to 2 months later having a long line of people is very exciting to see,” KeAndre says.

After paying a recent visit to their brick-and-mortar location in The Heights, Keandre was even more blown away by their rapid growth. And he’s ready to provide some advice on what you absolutely must order!

“I recommend people definitely get the hot chicken sandwich with a little coleslaw to make it more authentic to the Nashville way,” KeAndre advises. “Also, get their lemonade. Especially out in this summer heat, it cools you down. That’s definitely the way to go.”

As for Mico’s secret menu, KeAndre is a fan of their spicy ice cream chicken sandwich and urges people to keep an open mind about how perfectly the flavors meld together. “The ice cream is fresh, not like kinds with freezer burn,” he says. “I love how it complements the hot sauce.”

DELICIOUS FOOD, WITH ULTIMATE STREET CRED

Above all, what makes KeAndre a proud customer is the fact Mico’s is black-owned, making their hot chicken sandwich one of the most legit interpretations you’ll find anywhere.

“Not a lot of people know this, but the Nashville hot chicken sandwich was actually created by African-Americans,” KeAndre says. “The phenomenon is going on, but over 90% of those aren’t black-owned. The chicken sandwich is being gentrified right now.”

With a staunch commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the executive team at Molson Coors has vowed to do everything within their power to make a difference, and that includes giving the African American community the recognition they deserve.

“Leading with our most important value to put people first, we continue to take steps forward on our DEI journey,” says Gavin Hattersley, CEO of Molson Coors Beverage Company. “For it is only through the unique experiences and perspectives from our people that we will drive long-term change for our company, our communities, and society as a whole.”

‍Houston is a shimmering example of the positive impact diversity can have on a city’s culture. To celebrate establishments like Mico’s Hot Chicken, Coors Light is proudly sponsoring a series of articles that shine a light on black-owned businesses. Prior to paying Mico’s Hot Chicken a visit, don’t forget to pick up a cold Coors Light here.

Why You Need to Experience Mico’s Hot Chicken Right Now

PRESENTED BY