Updated: Morgan Spurlock’s Holy Chicken! was a Damn Ruse…Well, Not Really
We went to Holy Chicken on Schrock Road for their final day and had a chance to talk to the creator himself, Morgan Spurlock. Hear what he has to say about his surprisingly “controversial” restaurant.
Posted by 614now on Tuesday, November 22, 2016
[Updated] We followed up with PR Consultant Shelly Manne to ask a few questions about how the team at Holy Chicken is taking the backlash from Columbus media that it was “a hoax”, that it “isn’t a real restaurant” or in our own words a “ruse” — Which we’re going to say now was a total mistake. Mea culpa. This is a real restaurant, with real people and a real Morgan Spurlock cashing people out. It’s not a “lie.”
How is the team at Holy Chicken! taking the news that Columbus for some reason thinks his restaurant is a hoax?
“The vibe is really good today. The true story we’re trying to tell is finally coming out.”
Has it been disappointing the response of Columbus media?
The most disappointing thing is people who read and don’t experience. At the end of the day, these words [local, organic, free-range] aren’t federally regulated. They mean nothing and we’ve been 100% honest with what we’ve been serving and what was in the press release. We’re 100% a real restaurant and the end goal is to create change.”
How is Morgan taking the news that people are walking into a restaurant with literal truth hanging from the walls only to leave feeling duped.
“Morgan keeps saying it maybe is too much truth to handle.”
Maybe the truth is too much handle, but for Columbus it seems we’d rather be upset that our fast food chicken sandwich isn’t healthy (despite never being promised it was) than taking this for what it is — a beautifully, elaborate message that really has nothing to do with Columbus, but with national food culture as a whole.
“We’ve been swindled! Bamboozled! Double-crossed and deep fried!” says all of Columbus media! Well not really actually — Morgan Spurlock, documentarian and filmmaker surprised all of Central Ohio when he announced last week he was opening a fried chicken sandwich place called “Holy Chicken!” and to the surprise of many it is has a bigger meaning that just being a chicken restaurant.
Only now do we understand the full scope of his plan — In Saturday’s Dispatch, Spurlock said his new pop-up would be built like similar-style restaurants because of the “chicken experience” and coping a slogan from Chipotle — his fast-food was made “with integrity” using 100% natural free-range chickens.
In the end that wasn’t the case though, as customers poured into the restaurant they took in the marketing with signs mimicking Chipotle and other fast-casual restaurants but instead of extolling the virtues of their chicken — Holy Chicken! has taken a different tact, complete and abject honesty. The exact opposite of being duped, or a hoax.
“Introducing Flavor Char! Fake grill marks are an old industry method that tricks the brain into thinking fast food is better for you than it actually is! That’s why, even though our Holy Chicken is deep fried, we Paint-Gryll it with Flavor-Char grill marks. The truth never tasted so good.”
It all boils down to language that was used in the press release “All natural” and “local” and “organic” which are all technically true, the problem therein is the assumption that those things also mean healthy — which his food certainly is not. Hell, it even fooled the Mayor’s office as one of Ginther’s spokespeople helped Spurlock at the grand “opening.”
“We want people to be able to eat food that’s good for them and healthy, so we’re very excited about the energy you’re bringing to our city.” One of Ginther’s aides said at the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony.
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