Church’s Texas Chicken, one of the world’s largest and most popular fried chicken brands, will make its highly anticipated debut in Sunny Isles, St. Croix, on Aug. 30.
The new location will be operated by Wenvi, the franchise group led by Peter Kumpitch, a seasoned restaurant entrepreneur who has lived on St. Croix since 1972 and brings more than 50 years of business experience in the Virgin Islands.
The launch marks a significant milestone in Church’s global growth strategy, introducing its signature hand-battered fried chicken and world-famous, freshly baked honey-butter biscuits to the U.S. Virgin Islands. With over 70 years of history and a presence in 20 countries with more than 1,400 restaurants, Church’s is celebrated for its Bold Texas Flavor and is one of the fastest-growing chicken brands in the Caribbean.
“We are privileged to be invited by Church’s Texas Chicken to contribute to their growth in the Caribbean,” said Kumpitch. “We look forward to introducing flavorful and juicy fried chicken to our Virgin Islanders.”
Gregg Gallagher, vice president of the Americas for Church’s Texas Chicken, said, “We are thrilled to bring our brand and legendary fried chicken recipes to the U.S. Virgin Islands. We believe the Sunny Isles location is the perfect place to introduce our Bold Texas Flavor to the territory. Church’s anticipation is expanding to at least five locations across the Virgin Islands within the next five years. We’re incredibly pleased with how the Caribbean has embraced Church’s Texas Chicken and look forward to working with Dr. Kumpitch and the Wenvi organization to make Church’s a beloved brand in the USVI.”
Kumpitch emphasized that the Sunny Isles restaurant will stand out by serving fresh chicken.
“We want people to know that we are going to be doing fresh chicken — not exclusively, but primarily freshly breaded chicken — which is not the case in the Virgin Islands,” he said. “We’ll be bringing it in on a weekly basis, and that has not been done before.”
He explained that other restaurants avoid the practice because of the challenges of fresh chicken. “It can be precarious because of the bone and the moisture that occurs after freezing and then breading,” Kumpitch noted.
Consumers can expect the restaurant will open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight, though hours may change in the future.
