By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

A new chicken restaurant option has come to the coastal area, this time with a southern twist. Crimson Coward, a Nashville hot chicken franchise based in California, opened its doors in Berlin last month.

Morad Ramadan, the owner of the Berlin location and a 2001 Stephen Decatur High School graduate, officially welcomed customers to the new establishment on Feb. 19.

The eatery is in the same shopping center as the Berlin Food Lion, where the Papa Johns pizza restaurant used to be. The West Coast-based operation has franchises throughout the United States, and while a few stores have found their way to Maryland, the Berlin restaurant is the franchise’s first on the Eastern Shore.

The relaxed, carry-out-centric restaurant offers menu staples such as jumbo chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches with coleslaw, pickles, and a house-made sauce as toppings, chicken and waffles, smash burgers, a bloomin’ onion, and fried pickles.

Aligned with the Nashville hot chicken theme, patrons can choose their spice levels. Options range from plain, known by the company as a country, to mild, medium, hot, and “burn baby burn.” Ramadan said that the hottest choice incorporates ghost pepper.

“Only a few have gone there,” the owner said.

Ramadan noted that nothing on the menu is pre-made, and even the sauces, like the classic crimson sauce and ranch, are made in-house. The food is also halal, meaning that it comes from animals slaughtered, adhering to Islamic law. For example, the animals must be killed as ethically and swiftly as possible.

The spot is planning an April 10 grand opening. Ramadan said that they are anticipating a ribbon cutting and are even hoping to get the SDHS band on board to strengthen community ties.

“I want to get the local community involved, especially for the grand opening, because if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here,” the owner said.

Ramadan added that the response from Berlin residents has been “amazing” and that citizens from the town and surrounding areas are excited about the new chicken spot.

“This is finally something new for the little town of Berlin,” he said. “People said to me, ‘You chose here, and that’s so cool,’ and I’m like, ‘I wouldn’t have chosen any other town.’ As soon as I decided to get on board with the company, Berlin was the first thing that came to mind. I grew up here, and I know Berlin’s response. It’s small, but it has such a big heart. You can feel the love from everybody. When we opened up, it was like, ‘Oh my god, thank you for coming.’”

The owner emphasized that he believed there was a gap in the market for chicken places in the region. While other concept establishments can be found on the other side of the Chesapeake, bridge, like Hangry Joes in Annapolis or Ellicott City, local choices were limited to Chick-fil-A and Popeye’s.

Ramadan added that he wanted to find niche offering for his hometown. Chicken sandwiches with toppings like coleslaw are an idea that has not yet been tapped in the small municipality, he said.

The larger portion sizes of the menu items, particularly the jumbo chicken tenders and sandwiches, were also a draw.

Crimson Coward has roughly 20 locations in Virginia, Maryland, Texas, California, Washington, and Michigan. Ramadan said he is opening another spot in Salisbury near Salisbury University this May.

Crimson Coward is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the hours may be extended during the summer.

“The response has been unbelievable,” he said. “I couldn’t be more happy. People are much more excited than I thought they would be, which is amazing. I knew they would be excited to have me here because when we were under construction, the door would open all day, and people would come in to ask, ‘When are you guys open?’ I am truly blessed to be a part of this.”