A flavorful new arrival will soon make its way to Auburn. Nashville-based Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is officially set to join the lineup of downtown Auburn shops and restaurants in summer 2026. The location will open at 121 N. College St. and will bring a fresh and renewed purpose to the former historic Tiger Theatre.
The restaurant will feature its usual menu, including its signature Nashville hot fried chicken and classic sides. Guests will also have the option to try the famous grilled chicken and personalize their spice levels, ranging from the mild “Southern Style” to the spiciest level “Shut the Cluck Up.”
The Auburn location will span 3,685 square feet with the 2,923 square foot dining room offering 72 indoor seats, while the 762 square-foot covered patio at the entrance will seat an additional 52 guests.
Hattie B’s was founded by the father-son team of Nick Bishop Sr. and Nick Bishop Jr., whose family roots run deep in the restaurant industry. Bishop Jr. grew up around the restaurants his dad was operating at the time, and with his grandfather and uncles also in the industry, hospitality has been a long-lasting family tradition.
As Bishop Jr. grew up, he saw how hard his dad worked and eventually set out to find his own passion to pursue. He studied everything from photography to English to journalism and even worked in the music business for six years.
Around 2010, he decided to help his dad at his family-owned restaurant Bishop's Meat & Three. It was here that he and his dad started talking about the initial ideas behind Hattie B’s. At this point, Nashville hot chicken was a city staple, but its chance to spread outside of the state had not yet come.
They introduced Nashville hot chicken to their guests in their former restaurants, and it spread like wildfire. The people loved it enough for the father-son duo to pursue the restaurant idea. With this idea, Bishop Sr. and Jr. wanted to pay homage to the traditional hot chicken restaurants in Nashville like Prince’s and Bolton’s, while also providing their own unique twist.
Hospitality has always been Bishop Jr.’s passion, and the community he finds in their restaurants everyday reminds him of this.
“One of the most rewarding things to this day is to look around our dining rooms and restaurants and see this wide swathe of people that make up what the world actually looks like,” Bishop Jr. said. “It’s not just folks in your neighborhood that look like you or they go to the same school as you, same church or whatever. You’ve got the judge, the blue collar guy from the steel plant, the cop in for his lunch break. You’ve just got this really cool cross-section of humanity that I think makes restaurants a really special place.”
The name Hattie B’s originates from Bishop Jr.’s daughter, who is named Hattie. Hattie is a family name that has been passed down in the past three to generations. Bishop Jr.’s grandmother, whom he considers to be the greatest woman he's ever met, shares this name, as her love contributes to their family greatly.
Hattie B’s is proud to be family-owned and still considers themselves to be a mom-and-pop restaurant. They showcase this closeness with their hospitality and welcoming spirit.
“There's not a barrier of entry for you to eat with us. You don't have to reserve a table, or it’s not going to cost you 150 bucks,” Bishop Jr. said. “There's not a lot of difficult decisions to make, or things on the menu and words you don’t understand, so I think it was really approachable in that way too.”
That sense of fun and ease is what Bishop Jr. and his father want guests to feel when they walk into their doors.
“We don't take ourselves too seriously,” Bishop Jr. said. “You can do something fancy with your pinky out, or if you just want to come smash a chicken sandwich and make a mess, we got you too.”
The Hattie B’s team will lean into Auburn fun traditions and laid-back spirit. While intentional and not formulaic, they want to show up authentically in whichever town or city they end up in.
With the design of the new location, Hattie B’s is keeping the original theme of the Tiger Theatre landmark while also giving it a new purpose. By doing this, they can take a step away from traditional modernity and instead tell a story of the history of Auburn.
Contributed photo: a picture showcasing the future outside design of Hattie B's in Auburn. Rendering credit: Alison Stewart. Photo credits: Hattie B’s.
According to Bishop Jr., authenticity is at the core of Hattie B’s. Staying true to who they are isn’t just a business model but is the foundation of what they do.
“I’m really protective of the brand and the culture. I think our superpower is our people,” Bishop Jr. said.
Bishop Jr. and the Hattie B’s team are excited to join Auburn and experience having a location in a college town. This Hattie B’s will mark the third Alabama location, joining a nine-year-old in Birmingham and a soon-to-be-opened location in Huntsville.
Hattie B’s is bringing a Nashville-inspired menu and a people first philosophy to Auburn. For Hattie B’s, family is the heart of who they are. Their brand of hospitality is sure to receive a warm welcome from Auburn’s tight-knit community.
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