Gus's Fried Chicken is now serving up its "world famous hot & spicy" chicken in East Tennessee.
The Memphis-based chain opened its Knoxville location this week on Sutherland Avenue.
Its taken about five years for the project to come together for franchise owner Philip Sampietro.
“As tired as I am, I’m excited and I love this,” he said.
Gus's opened its doors on Tuesday as part of a soft opening. While they're still working on training, it's been quite busy.
“We’re all excited to be here. We’re still learning and training but we want to take care of everybody and we’re going to be a part of the community,” Sampietro said.
Gus's is often cited by foodies and critics as among the best in the South. They also use peanut oil for all of their frying. Lately, the chain has seen huge expansion, opening up shop in places like Atlanta and Chicago.
The chain has even been featured on national television, with a segment on the Travel Channel.
Knoxville is Gus's seventeenth location spread out across ten states. The chain has future locations planned for Fort Worth, Phiadelphia, Houston, and Sandy Springs, Georgia.
The Knoxville location is open from 11 am-9pm Sunday through Thursday and 11am-10pm on Friday and Saturdays.