BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Blue Store Chicken, the beloved fried chicken chain with deep Baton Rouge roots, is opening a new location in Ascension Parish at the I-10 Geismar/Prairieville exit on Hwy 73.
The new restaurant is moving into the former McDonald’s next to the “Big Boss On Your Way” Mobil gas station.
The building has been repainted blue, and a “Coming Soon” sign now hangs between the front doors.
Blue Store Chicken is already a local staple in Baton Rouge and Baker, where it’s known for its signature crispy fried chicken. But its beginnings go back to 1993, when founder Mua Phan opened a small corner store just outside Southern University.
What started as a convenience store soon grew into a bustling lunch spot once Phan added a kitchen, eventually perfecting the fried chicken recipe that turned into a local phenomenon.
In a 2024 interview with 225 Magazine, Phan’s daughter Hue Tran Tran, who now helps lead the family business, said the family has been eyeing expansion in Gonzales, Prairieville and Central, with long-term plans to bring Blue Store franchises to New Orleans, Houston, and even Plaquemine.
The Geismar/Prairieville store will mark one of the first steps in that expansion, bringing the famous chicken south of Baton Rouge and into Ascension Parish.
We’ve reached out to owners for a timeline on the grand opening.
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