The Main Line has a new eatery to crow about: our first, full-fledged Federal Donuts & Chicken. (That donut-and-coffee stall at Whole Foods in Wynnewood doesn’t count.)
The super-popular Philly chain founded by Zahav-famous Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook, among others, opened its first suburban outpost in Radnor Friday. There were lines out the door.
Talk about a spot-on location and pinpoint timing. This one’s a hop-skip from Radnor High School and the Radnor corporate corridor.
It hatched during Villanova’s Parents Weekend. AND it has already partnered with Nova’s sports teams.
Slam-dunk marketing, right?
Villanova Men’s Basketball has already discovered Federal Donuts & Chicken.
Haven’t heard the hoopla?
Fans flock to FedNuts for its 12 varieties of spiced cake donuts served Fancy, Classic or Hot & Fresh.
Just how hot and how fresh are we talking? Well, it took a lickety-split six minutes after ordering to bite into a wondrously warm Cinnamon Brown Sugar donut. (It felt like Brown’s on the Ocean City boardwalk minus the marauding seagulls.) Cookies n Cream and Strawberry Lavender are FedNuts’ other two Hot & Fresh options.
Prefer some protein in the morning? There’s a $7 breakfast sandwich: egg, bacon, Cooper sharp cheese with cherry pepper relish on a potato bun.
As the day progresses, folks start filing in for Federal’s hand-battered and twice-fried chicken. Get it as tenders ($10.50) or wings ($11), on a salad ($12) and in $5 sliders and $12 – $13 sandwiches.
Once chicken – always freshly fried – sells out, tough luck and try again tomorrow. (Although we’re told new procedures have wisely cut back on sellouts – and crestfallen customers. Seems they’re counting their chickens … in a good way.)
We tried FedNuts’ most popular sandwich: the Classic Chicken with buttermilk ranch seasoning, American cheese, dill pickles and spicy rooster sauce. Cockadoodle-delish.
Other sandwiches are Buffalo, South Philly (with giardiniera, provolone and long hot mayo) and Chicken Bacon Ranch Ranch. (Not a typo – it has ranch seasoning and ranch dressing).
Coffee isn’t an afterthought here, either. Choose from La Colombe drips, cappuccinos, lattes, cortados, double espressos and cold brews.
Once home to HipCityVeg, the cozy, 20-seat space is in good company. Popular Estia Taverna and Pietro’s anchor the ends of the strip center.
Radnor is the first suburban location by local franchisees: Villanova resident Michael Heller, Chris Magarity and Michael Sloane.
“We looked all over the the Delaware Valley,” Sloane tells SAVVY on opening day. They settled on Radnor in part because Heller knew the area so well. Coincidentally, Federal Donuts’ founders’ private equity partner, NewSpring Capital, is headquartered up the road.
Federal Donuts & Chicken franchisee Mike Sloane, Radnor GM Tim Castantas, and Operations Director Zach Kolski on opening day in Radnor. “’Hot & fresh’ is what Federal Donuts apart,” says Sloane. “It’s the Number One fan favorite.”
Sloane and Magarity both have restaurant backgrounds. They own Jasper’s Backyard in Conshohocken and in mid-October will launch a new concept, “The Fort” in Fort Washington. Along with Heller, they have two more Federal Donuts – on Ridge Pike in Conshy and in Willow Grove – coming online before the end of the year.
And that’s just the beginning for this intrepid trio.
With franchise rights for all of suburban Philly, Sloane says they’re eyeing spots like Newtown Square, Malvern/Exton and West Chester.
“We just think Federal Donuts & Chicken is the coolest thing around,” he clucks, eager to feather his nest.
Federal Donuts & Chicken, 232 Radnor-Chester Rd. near Estia and Pietro’s, is open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Limited seating. Order online or from the Federal Donuts & Chicken app for pickup or delivery.
***Free variety cup of FedNuts Minis with purchase through Sept. 29 while supplies last.***
