Honey Butter Fried Chicken Is Opening a Seafood Spin-off

Honey Butter Fried Chicken is bringing its beloved brand of comfort food to a new setting in September. The popular Avondale restaurant is teaming up with SPF Chicago, the city’s largest indoor pickleball club, to open Honey Butter Beach Club, a breezy, East Coast–influenced spin-off restaurant housed inside the Lincoln Park facility.

The new restaurant will blend HBFC’s casual, counter-service spirit with beach club vibes drawn from places like Cape Cod and the Outer Banks. Guests can expect to find some HBFC favorites — including chicken strips, the original chicken sandwich, and peach dump cake — but the menu will also branch out into seafood and summer-style fare. Owners Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp are excited to finally share dishes they’ve been dreaming up for years. There will be a lobster roll that’s warmed in honey butter, lightly tossed in a scallion dressing, and served on a seared and buttered New England-style bun.

“Done right, a lobster roll is one of the most transcendent things,” Kulp says.

Another highlight will be the fried shrimp, an item the duo has wanted to offer but couldn’t pull off at HBFC due to fryer constraints. At Honey Butter Beach Club, it’s served with honey butter (of course) and shows up in tacos as well. The menu also features a burger made with Slagel Farms beef, topped with pimento cheese, garlic aioli, and arugula. In total, there will be around 16 items available, with the option to expand portions for larger groups.

Kulp, an avid pickleball player, says the collaboration with SPF came about naturally. The chefs had already helped develop the club’s cafe menu when SPF opened in 2024, and conversations with co-owner Richard Green sparked the idea for a full restaurant. And the coastal theme seemed like a perfect complement.

“The space already feels festive and beachy. There are games, palm trees, and a great bar. Adding a restaurant with that same energy just made sense,” Kulp says.

While guests have to reserve a court to play at SPF, Honey Butter Beach Club will be open to the public. So even if you don’t feel like grabbing a paddle, there’s nothing stopping you from walking in for a bite. The restaurant plans to offer carryout and delivery, too, plus catering options.

“The idea is that it’s fun. You can play pickleball, but you don’t have to. You can just hang out, eat good food, and have a good time,” Cikowski says.

For Kulp and Cikowski, it’s a thrilling new chapter for the Honey Butter brand. HBFC first debuted in 2013 and, outside of a second location in suburban Glencoe that lasted only 10 months, the pair has resisted the urge to open more restaurants despite having lots of ideas. Whether Honey Butter Beach Club leads to further expansion isn’t off the table, but Cikowski says they want to proceed carefully and deliberately.

“This just feels like the right time, space, and partnership to make Honey Butter Beach Club happen,” she explains.

The restaurant is slated to open next month, pending final construction.

Honey Butter Beach Club, 2121 N. Clybourn Avenue, opening in September