The Great Chickening

""It felt really good to be the chef at Daytrip," says chef and co-owner Finn Stern. In 2022, Bon Appétit named the vibrant Oakland wine bar and restaurant - known for its ambitious experiments with fermentation - one of the year's best newcomers. In 2024, the James Beard Foundation nominated Stern as a Best Chef semifinalist. "But we just couldn't turn a profit," he says. He, along with wife and co-owner Stella Dennig, announced Daytrip's closure last November."

"Earlier this year, Stern and Dennig reopened the restaurant as Daytrip Counter. Instead of miso-butter pasta that took one employee over a day and a half to make, they focus on only two things: rotisserie chicken and salads. "Having run a restaurant that really struggled to stay in the black, if not super in the red, it feels good to make that transition while feeding more people," Stern says."

"Across the country, we're witnessing a Great Chickening. This movement is occurring in both the predictable venue of fast food chains - KFC is doubling down on its chicken tenders, Taco Bell is experimenting with nuggets, Raising Cane's is experiencing record growth - as well as in trendy, aesthetically minded restaurants for the natural-wine-and-Resy-notify crowd. Americans have grown increasingly dependent on chicken in recent decades as its main source of animal protein, consuming the equivalent of over 100 pounds per person in a given year."

Chef Finn Stern and co-owner Stella Dennig closed Daytrip after persistent unprofitability and later reopened as Daytrip Counter. The new concept centers on rotisserie chicken and salads, replacing labor-intensive dishes like miso-butter pasta, and quickly became profitable. A half chicken is priced at $17, or $39 with a salad, side, and sauce. The pivot mirrors a nationwide increase in chicken-focused offerings across fast-food chains and trendy restaurants. KFC, Taco Bell, and Raising Cane's exemplify the trend. U.S. chicken consumption rose to over 100 pounds per person annually, strengthening chicken's economic appeal to operators.

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