Last week as I was in the Post Office, a very nice lady commented on these articles I write. As she told me how much she enjoyed reading them, she also mentioned her "wish list" for new businesses. Now just so you will understand, this "wish list" thing actually happens quite often. It doesn't happen just at the Post Office, but all around town when people figure out I work for the Chamber of Commerce.

Anyway, this very nice lady began explaining to me how she and the local owner of a national chain pizza restaurant had recently talked about Silver City needing a chicken joint. Now this was music to my ears! Growing up in the South, I was raised on barn-yard bird. You can fry it, bake it, grill it, barbeque it, put it in spaghetti, dip it in hot sauce or pour honey on it... chicken makes a great meal. And I really like chicken gizzards and even chicken necks. However I will usually give someone else the livers.

I apologize, this isn't my story. This is the nice lady's story, so I will try to limit my very biased comments.

We talked about where Kentucky Fried Chicken used to be located before they built the restaurant that now sits empty next to Walmart. We talked about the chicken that Golden Corral cooked when they had a restaurant in Silver City. I think Long John Silver's even came up in the conversation. Anyway, she and I agreed that Silver City needs a place to buy fried chicken.

Now before you start writing "Letters to the Editor" about how Food Basket, Albertson's and Walmart sell fried chicken at their deli counters... I know this to be true. You don't have to formally point this out to me. But... it's just not the same as Church's Chicken, Popeye's Chicken, Chick-fil-A, Bush's Chicken, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers or even KFC. Look, I know you can get a 10-piece chicken nugget box at Burger King for less than 2 bucks... it's a great deal, but it's just not the same as chicken from a chicken joint. Those are chicken parts from a burger joint, and I and this wonderful lady at the Post Office are craving chicken from a chicken joint. It's just that simple.

Now what isn't so simple is attracting a chicken joint to come to Silver City. Right now, there doesn't seem to be a large group of people willing to purchase a chicken joint franchise to be placed in Silver City. Bush's Chicken wants about an acre of land and a 3,000 sq. ft. building along with $30,000 and 5% of the gross sales (excluding sales tax). Church's Chicken states on their website that New Mexico has strong growth opportunities... there's even a second Church's being built in Las Cruces. And, you only need a minimum net worth of $1,000,000 and $500,000 in liquid assets to build a Popeye's in Grant County, plus they get 9% of your gross sales. Wow! My wife and I will not be purchasing any of these franchises in the near future.

Gosh, I hope this very kind lady and I don't have to share our ideas much longer about how Silver City needs a chicken restaurant. Whether it's finger-lickin' good, the colonel's secret recipe, or Louisiana Fast... there are actually lots of people in this town that "love that chicken" and would like to see a new chicken joint in our community. Quick somebody, let's pull that wish-bone apart.