Just steps away from the Kentucky Fried Chicken that sits on the corner of 14th Street and 2nd Avenue is The Nugget Spot, a gourmet design-your-own fried chicken restaurant.
The Nugget Spot opened its doors in 2013 while KFC has been in the East Village for over a decade. With the intention of being trendy and hip, The Nugget Spot switches its nugget flavors each month and maintains active social media accounts in an attempt to stay relevant. In order to appeal to their “stoner crowd,” The Nugget Spot offered all-you-can-eat nuggets for four minutes on “4/20.”
“I’ll admit you get more food for your money at KFC but our quality is just better.”
“We have to appeal to the changing neighborhood,” said Andy, a cashier at The Nugget Spot. The restaurant offers a variety of different types of nuggets, including two vegetarian and gluten-free options. But the versatility of the fried chicken comes with a price. Six nuggets sell for $6.50 and 10 for $10. “I’ll admit you get more food for your money at KFC but our quality is just better,” Andy said. In comparison, KFC sells an entire meal consisting of two drumsticks, mashed potatoes, a biscuit, a cookie and a drink for $6.
Michael Webb, 20, a patron of KFC, has no plans to try The Nugget Spot. “I’ve heard good things about The Nugget Spot but KFC is just so much cheaper,” Webb said. The decorum seems to agree. The stench of grease and chicken overpowers KFC and the surrounding block, and the tiled floor and bright lights give off a clinical feeling. The Nugget Spot’s exposed brick and dim lighting provide a cozier feel. The walls are lined with paintings and dollar bills decorated by former patrons.
While KFC is filled with families and construction workers on a Saturday afternoon, The Nugget Spot, attracts a “hipper” crowd. “During the day we get high school students, the bar-goers at night, and we also attract a stoner crowd,” Andy said. “There’s really no competition,” she said in reference to the KFC just two doors down. “We are drawing in the newer crowd.”
