Photo by Danielle Storm
Korean fried chicken joints are dropping like bird flu-infected chickens. Just days after the owner of a popular Second Avenue chicken shop confirmed its closure, another one announced on Tuesday that it has also bitten the dust.
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CM Chicken, a franchise that opened up its outpost at 1764 First Avenue (at 92nd Street) in December 2023, took to Instagram to announce that it was closing up shop “for personal reasons.”
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“This decision was not made lightly, and I am truly grateful for the love and support you have shown,” owners Jay and Katie Son wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
CM (Choong Man) Chicken was started in South Korea in 2009 before expanding to the United States in 2017. According to its website, there are currently a bit under 50 CM Chicken locations in the United States, though as of now, none in the five boroughs.
The owners apologized for the sudden closure and expressed thanks to their customer base.
“I intended to share this news last week, but it was too emotional for me to do so,” the franchise’s Instagram post said. “Please understand how much we love and appreciate you and the incredible Upper East Side community. You are truly the best.”
East Side Feed reached out to CM Chicken to learn more details about the restaurant’s closure, but hasn’t heard back yet.
CM Chicken’s closure marked the second such event to hit the neighborhood in a week. A bit downtown at 1405 Second Avenue (between 73rd and 74th streets), ChickQueen confirmed to East Side Feed that it has permanently closed its doors after less than two years on the Upper East Side. The owner claimed that the lease was too expensive for the business, and that the landlord refused to renegotiate the terms.
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This closure sounds sadder than most. Sorry to have missed out on the place.