Colbie's Southern Kissed Chicken to open in Mount Holly with celebrity backers

MOUNT HOLLY — A new chicken restaurant, Colbie's Southern Kissed Chicken, is opening on March 22 on Route 38. 

And township residents are excited. 

Colbie's already has almost 8,000 followers on Facebook. As one area resident put it, "There's nothing like this in Mount Holly."

Majority owner Michael Colby is opening the restaurant because the township does not have a Chick-fil-A, he said. It does have a Popeyes, but that's a full seven minutes away and across town.

The Hainesport resident, who co-owns the spot with former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard and celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, among other investors, wants his restaurant to become the Chick-fil-A of Mount Holly. 

"We want people to crave our chicken," he said. 

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Except it won't just be a fast food option with some indoor seating, according to Colby. The chicken restaurant will have a drive-thru, an outdoor seating area and a delivery service through DoorDash and Grubhub. 

Colbie's also will have a southern, cafeteria-style indoor dining area that will be able to seat 115 people, according to the owner. 

"We'll do it all," he said. 

Colby wanted to open the 4,500 square-foot property in December. But he had to push the process back 90 days because it was hard to find construction materials during the pandemic.

But now the pandemic is fading with every vaccination shot. President Joe Biden is mandating that states make all residents eligible for shots by May 1. He is also targeting Independence Day, July 4, as the date when people can start hosting parties again. 

In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy is allowing restaurants to increase their indoor dining capacities to 50 percent starting March 19, up from 35 percent. A return to 100 percent may happen in the near future. 

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So now, Colby feels like the timing is working out. Locals already are driving up to the drive-thru because they think Colbie's is open, the owner said. 

"I have a feeling we'll be pretty busy when we open," he said. "I think people are waiting for something new to happen."

On Friday, one local family was able to try the new place early. The Gregorys are friends of Colby's, and the owner invited them in for a test lunch.

Husband Stan, wife Nicole and daughter Alyssa all raved about their chicken sandwiches and fries. 

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"I weigh a buck 50," Stan said. "I don't eat that much food. But this is some good food."

They also enjoyed the cafeteria atmosphere inside, with high ceilings and windows letting in natural light. 

"It definitely feels like you're down south," Nicole said. 

They also said they could see themselves returning in the future. 

"There's outdoor dining," Alyssa added.

If You Go: 1643 NJ-38 West, Mount Holly, NJ 08060; https://www.facebook.com/EatAtColbies.MountHolly/ 

A local news and sports reporter around Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 2015, Jarrad Daniel Saffren joined The Burlington County Times’ award-winning local news team in October 2019, adding business, education and town government features to the coverage. Contact him at jsaffren@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JarradSaff. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to The Burlington County Times.