Hometown boy brings Howlin Bird chicken to the heart of North Canton
Dan Kane | The Repository
Nael Taki (left) and his brother, Samm, inside The Howlin Bird in downtown North Canton.
The Repository / Scott Heckel
Nael Taki, who just opened a new restaurant called The Howlin Bird at 123 S. Main St. in North Canton, has a lengthy history with the building, a central location of the city.
The 2005 Hoover High School graduate first worked there in 2002 as a dishwasher when it housed a place called Smokin' Joe's Rib Shack.
When the Main Street Grille opened in the same spot in 2005, Taki (whose first name is pronounced Nile) was sous chef and then head chef, a job he held until 2010. He had no formal culinary training.
"It was my first chef job and I learned a lot," he said. "Self-taught school of hard knocks."
And now, after a nearly 10-year culinary stint in Los Angeles, Taki, 34, is owner of both the building and its new restaurant.
The Howlin Bird is a fast-casual eatery specializing in rotisserie chicken, crispy chicken tenders, housemade dipping sauces and fresh-cut fries. There's also a bar serving beer, wine and cocktails.
A rotisserie chicken, chicken tenders and sides at the new restaurant The Howlin Bird in North Canton.
The Repository / Scott Heckel
Taki's brother Samm, 24, is his business partner, and Taki's fiancee from California, Kristina Reyes, also works there. Taki's mother, Kathy, " is the heart of the place," he said, and four other Taki siblings are helping out.
"People said, 'You're crazy to open during a pandemic,' but people are still eating," Taki said. "And everybody loves chicken, especially rotisserie chicken and chicken tenders."
Business so far is about 50/50 between carryout and dining in, with social distancing measures in place. There are plexiglass dividers on the bar top, and seating is offered at only every other one of the restaurant's 16 booths.
Sure, rotisserie chickens already are available at grocery stores.
But Taki said, "We are taking a different approach. We're brining our chickens for 10 hours in a salt-sugar-buttermilk brine, then they're slow-roasted for two hours on the spit. They're very tender, very flavorful and juicy, with that butter, fat and salt dripping on the other chickens while they cook. We make our rice and soup with the drippings."
Taki is encouraged by the restaurant's business so far. "We sold 400 tenders on Wednesday," he said.
The interior of The Howlin Bird restaurant in North Canton.
The Repository / Scott Heckel
In September 2019, while in California, Taki purchased the building at 123 S. Main from its owner Larry Owens "just to get into real estate."
Taki had kept in touch with Owens while working in California as corporate chef for Hennessey's Tavern, and then chef-partner with Rebel Republic Social House.
The Main Street Grille closed its doors in early September of this year, and Taki, still in California, was approached in October about buying the business.
"My sister had passed away in late July and that really hit home with me being gone for 10 years," Taki said. "With my family here and me missing home, I thought I'd purchase the restaurant and try out a new concept."
The Howlin Bird has come together in lightning speed, having opened Dec. 10.
Whereas Main Street Grille "was a kinda dark, sit-down fine-dining place, what I'm going for is bright, airy and lively," Taki said. "We got rid of all the dimmers. We redid all the floors and got rid of all the years of grease and grunge.
"It's so inviting now, a breath of fresh air,' he said. "You come in to the counter, place your order, get a number and belly up to the bar or go sit down."
The entrance is off the parking lot at the rear of the building. Carryout orders are phoned in and picked up inside. Curbside pickup is coming soon, Taki said, along with deliveries from an app called Chow Now.
The entrance and patio of The Howlin Bird in North Canton. It's in the site of the former Main Street Grille.
The Repository / Scott Heckel
The Howlin' Bird offers three sizes of inclusive "flock meals" for groups of two to six people. In addition to chicken, the menu includes homemade soup and a few salads and sandwiches. The bar is stocked with 13 beers, 13 wines and three types of liquor for mixed drinks.
As the building's owner, Taki has other plans in addition to chicken.
A coffee shop is projected for late spring; the basement bar will at some point open as a speakeasy with a weekend cocktail emphasis, pool tables and karaoke, and there also may be a food pop-up with tacos or pizza. "I'm looking at getting on the ballot for Sunday liquor," he said. "I'd like to do weekend brunch. I'm a big brunch fan." The existing back patio will service all of these entities.
Christina Weyrick, board chair of the North Canton Area Chamber of Commerce, said, "It's really nice to see a thriving restaurant in there. It's the central location we have. That small block is the active center of town. We're really happy and excited."