I Say, I Say, Leghorn Cafe Finally Opens in River North

A different breed of customers—young professionals and office workers—noshed on fried chicken sandwiches Tuesday morning as Leghorn Cafe opened its doors for the first time.

Opening day wasn't as frenzied as it was in March when Leghorn sold out of chicken in 90 minutes after opening its original Ukrainian Village location. As of 2 p.m., Leghorn Cafe (600 N. LaSalle) had sold about 100 sandwiches, said supervising manager Stephen Randall. The most-asked question from customers, according to Randall was: "How hot is 'hot?'"

The River North crowd differed from the hipsters and neighborhood customers patronizing Leghorn Chicken in Ukrainian Village, Randall said. Many of those regulars showed up on Monday for the soft opening. Tuesday afternoon, a couple customers ate their food at the counter, a remnant of the Ohio House Coffee Shop.

During the morning, Randall reported a surge in business for breakfast, as Leghorn Cafe opened at 7 a.m.

They'll ease into the first week, closing around 4 p.m. Eventually on weekends, they'll open until midnight, competing with the 24-hour Rock N Roll McDonald's across the street. They'll also be open on Sunday, perhaps grabbing some business from Chick-fil-A, which closes all restaurants on Sundays.

Leghorn in Ukrainian Village developed a reputation for playing hardcore hip hop at a loud volume level. That wasn't the scene at Leghorn Cafe, where they're still finding their niche, Randall said. The loud music will eventually come to the River North during the late afternoon hours, he added. For now, morning customers will hear lounge music.