Fort Hill Jerk Chicken Founders Plan an At-Home Bistro

A Roxbury couple that has been selling jerk chicken since 2011 (and making it for much longer) is looking to expand the business into a restaurant, Bay State Banner reports. The Fort Hill Jerk Chicken team plans to open a 48-seat eatery, including an outdoor deck, called Fort Hill Bistro — right on the first floor of their home next spring.

With a secret family recipe, Chris and Kai Grant began grilling jerk chicken for friends and family in 1997 and launched a Saturday pop-up at their home in 2011. They have a residency at a culinary incubator in Dorchester, Boston Magazine reported last year, and they are regular participants in the fundraiser Discover Roxbury Heart of the Hub, their website says.

The plan for the bistro is to expand their current focus on jerk chicken. The Banner says the menu would include jerk chicken and waffles, braised oxtail, and hamburgers, and based on a recent Facebook post, perhaps jerk tofu, too. They plan to apply for a full liquor license.

The Grants want Fort Hill Bistro to lead the way for other establishments to move into their neighborhood. "We want to be the watering hole that Roxbury doesn’t have," Kai Grant told the Banner. "We would actually prefer to have multiple places around. We want to add to the landscape." The restaurant would have other draws for the community, including live music, movie nights, and televised sports events.

Fort Hill Jerk Chicken is hosting an official launch party for the company this Saturday in Roxbury.