LAKELAND— If the fried chicken doesn't make you get up and sing at LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken, the blasting '80s music certainly will.
The quick-service, Nashville hot fried chicken restaurant opened April 26 at the former Starbucks location on South Florida Avenue. Since opening, the eatery has drawn lines around its building and the popular Polk County Restaurants and Reviews page is littered with— mostly glowing— reviews.
The idea was born around June of 2020. Owners Leah and Jeremy Brumley put the business plan, concept and branding together while at home during the pandemic. They signed their building lease in September and started working on the eventual opening.
Culver's coming:Craving a frozen custard? Two Culver's coming to Lakeland by the end of the year
Publix:New Publix heading to County Line Road will feature new deli counter style, balcony
Take our #ChickenSandwichWars poll:What's your favorite fast-food chicken sandwich?
The restaurant was originally conceived to cater to mostly off-site dining: delivery and drive-thru. They even picked their location with that goal in mind.
"This site, it had all the other elements that we needed with our square footage, we wanted to be in the neighborhood, we wanted a good corner, we wanted a good street and it just happened to have a drive-thru," Jeremy Brumley, 46, said. "We really tried to really take the concept of hot chicken and put it in a drive-thru. It's really not been done before, so I think we were naive enough to think that maybe we could [do it]."
But with the building being so small, the Brumleys decided to scratch that and move to in-person dine-in and take-out only, turning the drive-thru space into extra parking instead, adding 12 spots.
Jen McDermott, 46, loved her dining experience at LoveBird. But parking was a struggle because the lot was "really small" and "very full."
"We literally had to circle around the building three or four times waiting for somebody to leave to get a spot," McDermott, who visited the restaurant with her daughter, said. "It's just very limited parking for such a popular place."
The Brumleys are aware that parking is tight and lines can get long,but said the restaurant's success has been incredible.
"It's exceeded our expectations from the support and the turnout from the community," Brumley said. "When we opened, it was a line around the door. ... I don't think we can really explain it."
And it's not just locals popping in, Leah Brumley added.
"We have guests driving from Orlando and Sarasota. Sebring. We've had Zephryhills," Brumely, 48, said. "Like we've had some guests come far to try the chicken, so we've been kind of overwhelmed and really happy."
As a result of the restaurant's popularity, the Brumleys are open for just dinner for the time being. LoveBird is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is closedon Sunday.
Jeremy Brumley said they're open to eventually expanding their hours. For example, the couple is "softly" talking about Saturday brunch, which would include new menu items such as hot chicken and waffles. But for now, they want to stick to what they can manage.
Restaurant assistance:Restaurant Revitalization Fund opens applications to struggling hospitality business owners
Masks and businesses:Are Polk businesses dropping masks following new CDC guidance?
"Dinner only right now -we're exceeding all of our expectations of what we thought we would do for lunch and dinner," he said. "[We just want to] make sure that we can continue what we want to deliver, what we expect to deliver, and that's high-quality great food and great service."
Long lines likely stem from the size of the restaurant, which can only seat 44 guests between indoor and outdoor seating. But guests in reviews say once they order the food, they get it fast.
"The line was steady the entire time we were there, but I think these people knew how delicious the food was because nobody seemed to mind waiting at all," McDermott said.
McDermott snagged the dark meat chicken plate with dirty fries and jalapeno corn with banana pudding for dessert. She said the dirty fries— a restaurant bestseller that consists of seasoned fries, cheese sauce, bacon, green onion and buttermilk ranch — were "sinfully good."
But the Brumleys aren't just selling hot chicken. They're selling an atmosphere.
The logo for LoveBird is a chicken, a heart and a lightning bolt, accompanied by the restaurant's signature colors: hot pink, gold, black and white, often lit up in neon signs.
"You look at hot chicken restaurants ... you get the flame, you get the red. It's pretty straightforward. All hot chicken has that same feel," Jeremy Brumley said. "Leah and I are kids from the 80s, so we're pretty passionate about music and anything 80s is pretty much in our DNA so hot pink was something that I felt like we could do."
When you step into the restaurant, you can jam out to 80s hits while determining whether you want to grab a hot chicken sandwich, baked beans or chicken tenders.
Downtown shuttle service planned:Routes announced for future downtown Lakeland shuttles
"Yes, the music is louder and there's a few that don't like it and there's a lot that love it," Brumley added. "Our playlist is just as important as any other recipe in our restaurant. We spent just as much energy and debate on the playlist as we do the new apple cobbler recipe. So it's a very important piece of our brand."
The curated vibe definitely worked for McDermott, who opted to dine in on her first visit.
"I loved it. It was to me, it was like retro pop and they were playing 80s music," Brumley said. "I wanted to get in touch with my inner Madonna and get up and sing."
Despite its popularity, LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken is still getting on its feet. Jeremy Brumleysays they just need a little bit of patience.
"We're very grateful for the community's support. And I know our hours and the line and all these things have been in debate and I just think it's important for usfor everybody to understand that our hours are a reflection of what we can deliver, what we promise we can deliver, and that's high-quality food, scratch-made, magnetic service," Brumley said. "I'd rather be exhausted and not have a day off than have all the time in the world."
Maya Lora can be reached with tips or questions atmlora@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @mayaklora.
