As the mom of a teenage chicken “connoisseur”, we are always on the hunt for the perfect chicken. Trying new chicken restaurants and food trucks is a regular occurrence in my life. I’d spotted Fury Hot Chicken on Instagram, followed, and was looking forward to trying their menu. But it seemed to always be in the wrong place when they were nearby. Recently, I got to try their food. They immediately shot up to the top of the chart for best hot chicken in our books.
Their founder, 25-year-old Marcel McAlister from Madera, CA was kind enough to make the time for an interview. So here I will share more about his amazing food and cool backstory with you, our dear FresYes readers.
FresYes: Tell us a little about yourself. Have you always been good at cooking? Is this the career path you envisioned when you were growing up?
Marcel McAlister: My name is Marcel, I am 25 years old from Madera, CA, born and raised. Ironically, cooking has not always been my passion. I decided to follow the path of business and entrepreneurship because I liked the idea of being a creative and putting things out into the world that I wanted to experience for myself.
Growing up I was known for working or hustling on the side for money but I never thought that it would birth my passion to one day create my own company. Thankfully, my hard work turned into me wanting to add value and build something bigger than myself. That’s why I am in the position I’m in today.
FY: Your chicken is super juicy and your breading is so light and crisp, not heavy at all! What elements of your menu offerings are you most proud of?
MM: I’m most proud of the quality of our food. The most important thing I’ve learned in business is, it’s not about how much money you can make but, how you can serve the best product or service in your industry and impact the people at a high level — that is the determining factor on how long you stay in business.
I studied the industry for 2 years before I put a product out, and it took me another year of practice to perfect what I wanted people to experience. Once I decided to put the product out I gathered all of my funds and started in a tent. From a tent as a food vendor we were an instant hit, but we got shutdown for illegal food vending. So, instead of giving up I put in another 2 years of mastering the craft and saving before we had the opportunity to reopen. It’s so important to do things the best way they can be done. Constantly studying every aspect of what it means to offer a complete quality brand then, going and making it happen is what it’s about.
FY: How long have you been operating Fury Hot Chicken and what have been some of your favorite memories/moments so far?
MM: Fury Hot Chicken began as a food booth in 2019, but got shutdown for illegal food vending. We started back up as a food truck in mid July of 2021 and have been operating consistently since.
My favorite memory has to be the first time I introduced the brand to the Valley in 2019. Seeing it was a success and how people responded was the driving factor I needed to keep it going 2 years later. Now, seeing it have the impact it has and how its growing always take me back to that first day gut feeling when I knew it would be something big one day.
FY: What are some of the greatest challenges of your work?
MM: Some of the greatest challenges of my work are all of the hats I need to wear everyday. People see Fury as a food truck, but it’s so much more than that. I’ve created and lead every aspect of the business including creative direction, branding, operations, marketing, strategy, culture, and accounting. I’ve also planned and executed blueprints for scalability and expansion. It can be challenging because entrepreneurship is about flying a plane and fixing anything that breaks down while still finding a way to keep the plane soaring through the sky, haha — but that also is what makes it dope and the journey worth it!
FY: What’s ahead for Fury in the months and years ahead? Do you imagine a brick & mortar location at some point in the future?
MM: What’s ahead for Fury is national expansion and global awareness. Behind closed doors we know what type of brand we’re sitting on, and have full understanding of just how far it will go. Us being local is just the start and we have some new partnerships in the works that will kickstart us into a future that many won’t expect. We’re excited, and can’t wait to share our vision with the people! We’re more than just a food truck — and can’t wait to show the world.
Keep up with all things Fury Hot Chicken (including their schedule so you can enjoy their food!) on the Instagram and website. You can pre-order your food for pick up or delivery online, too. Enjoy!
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