‘I think we’ll be in the mix with a thriving culinary scene that I hope we can just continue to grow in Orillia,’ said owner of Fox in the Henhouse, set to open later this month.
A popular Huntsville food truck known for its signature fried chicken sandwiches is spreading its wings to downtown Orillia.
Fox in the Henhouse is preparing to open its first permanent restaurant at 106 Mississaga St. E., directly across from Mariposa Market, and owner Matthew Lawrence says he couldn’t be more excited.
For Lawrence, opening a bricks-and-mortar establishment has been a longtime dream, but he admits he never expected that dream would come true in Orillia.
“It was always the goal,” he said. “Orillia was our second home away from home. We always visited Orillia and the kids always loved it there.”
When Lawrence and his family discovered the downtown property was available last winter, they jumped at the opportunity.
“I honestly didn’t think it was ever going to happen,” he said. “I thought specifically the location and everything it had going for it right across from Mariposa Market, I thought it was scooped up by somebody way before we even had a chance to put a proposal in.”
After securing the location, Lawrence began the process of turning the space into the business’s first permanent home.
“It has been turbulent to say the least to get there, but it is very exciting now that we see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Fox in the Henhouse has built a following in Huntsville through its seasonal food truck operation, serving gourmet fried chicken sandwiches with a culinary twist.
Lawrence, who has a background in fine dining, said the idea was to take a familiar fast-food favourite and elevate it with bold flavours and creative ingredients.
“We’re essentially trying to glow up fried chicken sandwiches,” he explained.
Lawrence said he was inspired after watching a Netflix special featuring celebrity chef David Chang that explored the passion surrounding fried chicken in the United States.
“I really wanted that same passion and drive that they have for fried chicken and kind of just instill new flavours — new bold, bright, more culinary in-depth flavours to fried chicken,” he said. “We’re here to just kind of bring in some new life to a ho-hum product that we all love.”
One of the restaurant’s biggest selling points is its approach to dietary restrictions. Fox in the Henhouse offers gluten-free chicken breading and vegan tofu options, something Lawrence said was inspired by his previous experience catering in the Algonquin Park area.
At one point, his catering operation was responsible for feeding approximately 600 people multiple times a day across three camps. That experience opened his eyes to the number of people dealing with food allergies, sensitivities and dietary restrictions.
“Once you hit that broad of a demographic, you start seeing that these people with allergies, people with sensitivities or just dietary restrictions, the numbers start adding up,” he said.
Interestingly, Lawrence said the restaurant’s gluten-free chicken breading was not originally part of the plan.
“The fact that the fried chicken ended up being gluten-free was complete luck, to be perfectly honest,” he said. “I tried both regular flour, and then I tried it with a gluten-free version, and the gluten-free version just ended up being a better product.”
The business will bring its existing Huntsville menu to Orillia when it opens, with plans to introduce specialty drinks and — potentially — expand its offerings as the operation gets established.
Lawrence said the new restaurant will primarily focus on takeout, although indoor seating will also be available, with a casual dining experience that includes food being brought to customers’ tables.
The Orillia location is expected to employ approximately six people during the winter, with that number increasing to 12 in the summer. As for the future of the Huntsville food truck, Lawrence said he originally intended to continue operating both locations but acknowledged that its future remains uncertain.
He said the business has outgrown its current arrangement in Huntsville, although he has not ruled out continuing operations there.
While the food at the new downtown eatery will be the main attraction, Lawrence said becoming part of the Orillia community is just as important to him.
He pointed to the relationships Fox in the Henhouse has developed with schools, firefighters, food banks and other organizations in Huntsville, and said he hopes to build similar connections in Orillia.
“You start seeing names and faces and what they do and how they tune in or what they do for the community,” he said. “These people, you know, they come to you, and they support you, and in turn you do the exact same.”
Lawrence said the business has already connected with a local school in Orillia and provided support.
“It’s so much bigger than the food itself,” he said. “The food will speak for itself, but everything else around you is what makes it worthwhile.”
He also believes Orillia’s growing restaurant scene presents an exciting opportunity, rather than increased competition.
“For me it’s not competition. I’ve never seen anybody as competition, not Chick-fil-A, not Popeyes, not my neighbours, not nobody,” he said. “It’s not competition. It’s community. It’s just you’re growing together.”
Lawrence said he hopes Fox in the Henhouse can become another bright spot in downtown Orillia’s culinary scene.
“There’s just so many spots that have kind of blown up in the past few years,” he said. “I think we’ll be in the mix with a thriving culinary scene that I hope we can just continue to grow in Orillia.”
With the opening approaching, Lawrence admits he’s both excited and a little nervous about making the jump from Huntsville to a larger market.
“We’ve got a fantastic product. We stand behind it 110 per cent,” he said. “We’re excited.”
Fox in the Henhouse will open its downtown Orillia location on Nov. 28.
