This morning, King of the Coop announced plans to move into the space where Nebraska Mini-Mart is closing at the end of March.
In a social media post, King of the Coop founder and chef Joe Dodd called the move a homecoming.
“Seminole Heights is where our community fell in love with great food and each other in 2019 and we look forward to revitalizing the spirit that brought us all together… through GOOD CHICKEN,” Dodd wrote.
Dodd first opened, and expanded, his hot chicken concept in Seminole Heights nearly six years ago, bringing to the neighborhood his famous firearchy of hot chicken that goes from naked all the way to the habanero-powered Coop’s Fury.
Dodd told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he signed the lease last Monday, March 17 after Proper House Group, which opened Nebraska Mini-Mart more than six years ago, told him about plans to close the burger-centric concept. Mini-Mart’s last day on the block is Sunday, March 30; Dodd said he’s currently hiring and pushing to open King of the Coop in the middle of April.
Dodd isn’t concrete on the dates yet, but he thinks that his operation at Ybor City’s Cigar City Cider & Mead—where King of the Coop has been operating a small location since 2021—will close in the first week of April.
“…we’ve been flying under the radar—finding ourselves, perfecting our craft, and getting in the best place possible. And let’s be real… our food has never been better!,” Dodd wrote, expressing gratitude to Joey and Jennifer Redner who welcomed him into their bar after the closure of King of the Coop’s Flocale food hall.
The timing is pretty good for Dodd, who’s been wrestling with the fallout of the closing of Flocale and other King of the Coop locations.
“I’m in a much better place personally and mentally. I was in a dark place for a long time, dude. It was of my own doing. I had to get out of my own way to make anything happen,” he told CL. “Ybor was a breath of fresh air for us. With being able to do that.”
The transition between Nebraska Mini-Mart and the new King of the Coop should be relatively easy, too, since Dodd is buying everything from the equipment, to the outside games. Signage and painting is all that’s really left to finish thanks in part to the care Proper House Group took with its facility. “Those guys took very great care of that place. The kitchen, for as small as it is and as busy as they were, is absolutely immaculate,” Dodd said.
He anticipates launching a “Thirsty Thursday” beer special, and keeping the space as kid-and-dog-friendly as Mini-Mart did. “Seminole Heights has a lot of families, and we need more places, especially outdoor places, where families can go and enjoy,” he said.
The menu at the new location will focus on King of the Coop’s main hitters, like tenders and sandwiches, but the expanded kitchen means diners will eventually be able to get their chicken grilled instead of fried. The oxymoronic vegetarian chicken will also probably make it to the offerings, along with salad and even a select day for buckets of bone-in-chicken. Wings, he said, will only be available one day a week so he does not step on the toes of Saucin’ Wings, which runs its concept next door.
“I am so excited,” Dodd told CL about the opening, admitting to some nerves, too. “I’m just so happy that mentally, I’m in a great spot.”
UPDATED 03/24/25 6:04 p.m. Updated to include comment from King of the Coop’s Joe Dodd.
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This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2025.