The Man
"I like HR more than I like fried chicken." An interesting statement from a man who owns an entire fried chicken chain. With a white button up, crisp navy slacks, and polished shoes, Joe Deloss—founder of Hot Chicken Takeover (HCT)—is not a man you would think ran an amateur magic business or sold snacks stolen from his mother’s pantry. What I saw was an aspiring entrepreneur with an unbeknownst humility that created an exotic midwest air.
As a diehard businessman, what brought him to the creation of Hot Chicken Takeover was less about food and more about the excitement that comes alongside being a job creator and employer. Thus, Joe set off on a 12-month quest, agnostically looking for an idea to bring to life. That idea? A Nashville style fried chicken restaurant with a grounding in social justice. Welcome to Hot Chicken Takeover.
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, I was curious as to why Hot Chicken Takeover sold Nashville-inspired chicken. It was for the people, not the food. On a quick trip to Nashville with his wife, Joe found himself captivated by the diverse group of people. This communal experience was fueled by ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and age diversity. Couple this weird splatter of people with Joe's desire to perpetuate a more progressive society and you have Hot Chicken Takeover.
We would like to say it was Joe alone who came up with the concept for HCT, but without his mentor—the dean of the business school at—he may not have learned that the worlds of volunteerism and entrepreneurship could coexist in harmony. Hailing from a diverse LinkedIn page, Joe was one of the first social entrepreneurs in the midwest. Without much precedence, he was attracted to social entrepreneurship as a more romantic idea. That idealized edge was very quickly knocked out of him, as finding the balance between balancing what the consumers desire and what HCT offers is difficult.
Fair Chance Practice
To thrive in a competitive business market, while not relinquishing his values, Joe quickly equipped himself with the education and experience of his employee-base. The teachers were hired individuals who had been shaped by adversity, and Joe was their pupil.
Young and ambitious midwesterners have begun demanding different, more as consumers and HCT has validated their concerns as the epitome of a Fair Chance company. With a mission statement that strives to create extraordinary experiences for extraordinary people, HCT does not discriminate who their mission applies to. The core values of HCT can be summarized into one acronym: GRITT—growth, respect, integrity, initiative, team. Though it has different meanings for the consumer and the team member, the baseline remains the same—quality hospitality and sincere care. Grounded in love and access, HCT’s business model serves as a prime example for a business that may not be as forthcoming or innovative for the current times.
Another aspect that sets apart HCT from many other food chains is the Fair Chance Hiring. In terms of a language perspective, these are “team members” not “employees” and everything is active. Each team member is “affected by”— team member first, action second. There is not an “us versus them” mentality, and HCT is not sympathetic to arbitrary occurrence.
Over 70 percent of HCT’s team member’s hold a criminal record. After asking Joe about what his hiring techniques were I came to realize that these individuals' struggles are simply the symptoms of a volatile community. Current business practices and societal structures have produced an inability to grow and therefore the adversity these employees have faced remain permanent blemishes on their records. The cycle of oppression can begin far before these men and women are even born, and therefore businesses should act on their character, not circumstance. Employment is a mutual contract and there should be a trust in the potential hires' character. If the values match that of HCT, there will be cohesion.
An interesting point Joe made during our conversation was that not all businesses should be Fair Chance employers. It’s not rocket science to acknowledge that people have different needs. Sometimes it is necessary to dissuade employers from being Fair Chance employers, as they first must be positive and good employers before even attempting to push themselves even further.
The future?
I appreciated Joe’s ability to acknowledge that he does not have all the answers. Like the rest of us, he too is human. Still a small business, there is nervousness as to how Hot Chicken Takeover is to scale up the culture and uniqueness, all while maintaining the core values.
An open call to companies who don't hire individuals with colored pasts: Look at your staff and see what they're doing for companies. The jokes on them because they’re hiring criminals—men and women who know how to financially get away with it.
Joe Deloss has an interesting come up story, but we forget to acknowledge that financial gain is not the only reason to start something great. Hot Chicken Takeover is the physical embodiment of how social justice and a for-profit business can make a change. So, my friends, eat some chicken, learn something about business. It’s worth your time.