Peruvian fast-casual chicken coming to Kennesaw
Oct. 20—The 16th location of the fast-casual Peruvian restaurant Viva Chicken will open on Wednesday in Kennesaw at 1131 Ernest Barrett Parkway, about half a mile from the intersection with Cobb Parkway.
The Kennesaw store will be the restaurant's first location in Georgia. Viva Chicken started in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has since expanded across the Carolinas and Utah.
The restaurant's signature chicken is marinated for at least 24 hours and roasted on a spit in Peruvian-built charcoal ovens. This style of rotisserie chicken, called pollo a la brasa, is popular enough in Peru that in 2004 the Peruvian Ministry of Culture designated the dish a national cultural heritage.
Bruno Macchiavello, a co-owner of Viva Chicken, is the chef behind this version of the dish.
"These are all his home-grown family recipes from his time growing up in Peru," said Viva Chicken CEO Gerald Pulsinelli. "There is no one really doing Peruvian fast-casual like this."
Pulsinelli said many Americans are not aware of the Asian influence on Peru's food culture, which can be tasted in Viva Chicken's arroz chaufa, which is Peruvian-style fried rice, and in their green beans sautéed in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
Kennesaw State University was part of what brought Viva Chicken to Kennesaw, according to Pulsinelli.
"We saw a such an opportunity to be ingrained in the community," he said.
During their opening week, the new store will be accepting donations for the KSU Cares Foundation Food Pantry, which provides food for students in need.
"Community support is vital to helping KSU students overcome food and housing insecurity, and Viva Chicken's generosity will make a huge difference in our students' lives," said Marcy Stidum, executive director of KSU's CARE services, in a news release.
Pulsinelli also said that Viva Chicken has a planned partnership with North Cobb High School and that 50 cents of every churro Viva Chicken sells goes to the nonprofit No Kid Hungry.
The restaurant also serves homemade sides, drinks and sauces. A tip from Pulsinelli: mix the yellow and green sauces together to use as a fry dip.
The first 25 people in the door on the Kennesaw location's opening day (who also download the company's app and enroll in its rewards program) will get a free whole chicken once per month for a year, the company said in a press release.
The Kennesaw location will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Viva Chicken plans to open an Alpharetta location in early 2023, Pulsinelli said.
