It’s an average Thursday night at a nondescript outdoor mall near Quarry Lake in Pikesville.
Next to an orthodontist office, there is a retailer with blacked-out glass panels that has the words “Chick’N Dip” written in orange above an awning. The door swings open time and time again, with customers clad in kippot and tzitzit and ankle-length dresses bustling in and out, often carrying big paper bags with more orange branding.
In fact, the door never seems to stay closed for very long.
That’s been the story for Chick’N Dip since the restaurant opened in September, as the kosher chicken shack is off to a running start, serving its signature tenders and sauces to dozens of happy Jews at a time.
In fact, the biggest problem with the restaurant might be finding enough space to fit all its customers.
For founder and owner Phil Klitzer, this restaurant has been a long time coming. When Klitzer ran a catering business in Seattle from 1998 to 2013, the most requested item was always his chicken strips. So much so that, when he moved to Baltimore three years ago, he got an idea for a business that focused solely on that offering. It took until this fall to open the doors.
“Finally, the Quarry location presented itself. In combination with that and our idea, we decided that Baltimore could use something — a kosher restaurant that was a little bit nicer and that could be open late at night. All of that combined, and we came up with this: Chick’N Dip.”
Klitzer has experience in the restaurant business. In Seattle, he ran a dairy restaurant in addition to the catering business. However, business sputtered due to the Seattle Jewish community’s somewhat smaller size and lack of interest in kosher offerings. The family sought out an area with a larger and more entrenched Jewish community.
In terms of numbers, Baltimore had a lot to offer. The in-person response, however, has been a surprise.
“I was a little skeptical in the beginning. Here we are, outsiders coming in. There’s already restaurants; there’s already people in the business. And we didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes. That wasn’t the goal,” Klitzer said. “But we really felt that this was a need that wasn’t really being served, with the late night and the fast convenience, the online order and all that kind of stuff. So, that was the picture we chose to go with, and it’s been very, very successful so far.”
For Chick’N Dip, the digital ordering option is key to its efficiency. Upon walking into the store via the mall entrance, you’re greeted by two large touch screens before rounding the corner, walking down a hallway and seeing a more traditional ordering counter. The option allows folks to choose what works best for them, and also streamline ordering so that a long line doesn’t bog down the cashier.
The restaurant is also able to cater to the sheer number of customers thanks to a simple menu that consists entirely of chicken, chicken sandwiches, a few burgers, wings and salads and some sides.
“Fried chicken is fried chicken,” Klitzer said. “We’ve been able to streamline the kitchen to have limited foods that are within the same preparation. … It’s been pretty simple.”
The staff is composed of some workers who have experience with kosher food and some who don’t, although that isn’t Klitzer’s biggest challenge in finding employees. Chick’N Dip is open every night until 11 p.m., except on Friday and Saturday, which is atypical for a family restaurant nestled in the Baltimore suburbs. That model has worked, though, as most nights the restaurant stays busy until closing time.
Another element that the community has praised is the homemade sauce selection, Klitzer said. There’s a hot sauce, teriyaki, garlic aioli and more. Many of those options were guided by Klitzer’s five daughters and two sons-in-law.
“Everybody feels that they wanted to have some input,” he said with a laugh.
What’s next for Chick’N Dip is yet to be seen, as other locations are certainly possible, but none have reached the planning stage. Klitzer said his team wants the Quarry Lake location to have a solid foundation before he attempts any expansion.
Judging by how much that front door swings open and closed, that foundation is well on its way to being solidified.
