About an hour prior to service, half the birds go in the oven. The remaining birds go in mid-way through the shift. Cooked chickens are held in the walk-in. When an order comes in, the pieces are carved and reheated on sizzle platters in a 400F oven for about five minutes. The entire prep and cooking process requires minimal labor.
Customers appreciate getting both white and dark meat and often have leftovers to take home.
As for the salad, the bulk of Pisano's labor is finished before the customer ever orders. Wurth sees chicken not only as a good seller with an attractive food cost, but as a canvas that allows him to experiment with new techniques and flavors. But it's important not to underestimate the adventurous nature of the diner. Customers enjoy discovering new flavors. And they are much more willing to try those flavors on chicken, he says, than they are on something more daring, such as fish or game.