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Love & Honey Fried Chicken gets Philadelphia food service license for University City location

Love & Honey Fried Chicken gets Philadelphia food service license for University City location

Money Moves Philadelphia, PA local

Planned for early 2024, the first franchisee's University City license arrived in October 2026, after his South Philly shop opened first.

2 days ago: University City license issued

Overview

Updated Yesterday

The City of Philadelphia recorded a food service license for Love & Honey Fried Chicken at 4060 Chestnut Street in University City on October 23, 2026. The license names franchisee Nafee Hossain, who already runs the brand's South Philly location that opened in May.

Love & Honey began in 2017 as a single Northern Liberties takeout window. Founders Todd and Laura Lyons started franchising in 2023, and Hossain signed on as their first franchisee, initially planning to open in University City by early 2024. His shop at 4060 Chestnut Street now lists hours of 11 AM to 1 AM daily, steps from Penn and Drexel.

Why it matters

The license moves Love & Honey from a single Northern Liberties takeout spot toward a multi-location Philadelphia franchise, testing whether a cult favorite can scale.

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Key Indicators

3
Love & Honey locations in Philadelphia
The original Northern Liberties site plus South Philly and University City.
2
Locations held by franchisee Nafee Hossain
South Philly and University City franchises.
20%
Annual sales growth at the original location
Reported for three straight years when the brand announced franchising in 2023.

Voices

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

2017 October 2026

5 events Latest: 2 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. University City license issued

    Latest Licensing

    City records a food service license for Love & Honey at 4060 Chestnut Street in Hossain's name.

  2. South Philly location opens

    Opening

    Hossain's Love & Honey franchise opens at 1523 Passyunk Avenue.

  3. Brand announces franchising

    Announcement

    Lyons say they will franchise the concept.

  4. First franchisee named

    Agreement

    Nafee Hossain signs as first franchisee, planning a University City shop.

  5. Love & Honey Fried Chicken founded

    Founding

    Todd and Laura Lyons open the restaurant in Northern Liberties.

Scenarios

1

Love & Honey signs its next franchisee

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: The founders' 2023 statement that they sought 'like-minded partners' and planned growth across the Greater Philadelphia region.

After Hossain proved the model with two locations, Love & Honey recruits additional franchisees. A new shop opens in another neighborhood or nearby city, signaling the brand's expansion ambitions.

2

University City location closes before first renewal

Unlikely Resolves by Oct 23, 2027

Discussed by: A risk given the modest margins of fast-casual chicken and competition near Penn and Drexel, though no specific analyst has predicted it.

If the University City shop struggles with foot traffic, rent, or rising food costs, Hossain could shutter it before the license's first annual renewal. The brand's website would remove the location, and city records would show the license lapse.

3

Franchisee Nafee Hossain opens a third location

Uncertain Resolves by Q1 2028

Discussed by: Hossain's trajectory — he signed on first and moved quickly to open two locations.

Fresh off two locations, Hossain takes on a third Love & Honey franchise, possibly in another Philadelphia neighborhood or the suburbs, deepening his stake in the brand.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1986-2003

Five Guys (1986-2003)

Jerry and Janie Murrell opened a single burger shop in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986. For years they refined the menu and built a loyal local following. In 2003 they began franchising, and the chain eventually grew to thousands of locations nationwide.

Then

The franchise model let the couple expand without outside investors.

Now

Five Guys became one of the largest fast-casual burger chains in the U.S., showing that a single-location cult favorite can scale via franchising.

Why this matters now

Like Love & Honey, Five Guys started as one beloved local restaurant and used franchising to grow — the same path the Philadelphia chicken brand is now testing.

1996-present

Raising Cane's (1996-present)

Todd Graves founded Raising Cane's in Baton Rouge in 1996 as a single chicken-finger restaurant. He was initially rejected by the Small Business Administration and worked as a boilermaker to fund the first location. He grew it slowly, opening new restaurants only as the original became profitable.

Then

Graves spent years opening just a few locations, prioritizing quality.

Now

Raising Cane's grew to hundreds of locations across the U.S., built on a deliberately narrow menu.

Why this matters now

The slow, quality-first approach to growth mirrors what Love & Honey says it wants — building a franchise without diluting the original recipe.

Sources

(5)