Asem Abdelfattah
Assistant News Editor
A new restaurant coming to Troy this summer is aiming to provide a community built on art, comedy and delicious food.
Ijtihad Muhammad, an artist and entrepreneur from Savannah, Georgia, said What the Cluck! is set to open before summer.
“When we were creating the naming and branding of What the Cluck!, we wanted to create something that was light, fun and just breaks your barriers as soon as you come in the place,” Muhammad said. “We want people to feel encouraged to have fun while enjoying their meal.”
According to Muhammad, menu items include wings, Philly cheesesteak, vegetarian options and breakfast food.
“We want our menu to cater to different tastes and cravings without the guilt of eating unhealthy,” Muhammad said. “No matter what time you come here to eat, you will leave feeling good about it.”
Justin Stephens, a senior accounting major from Destin, Florida, said the opening of the new restaurant was a good sign of local economic development in Troy.
“I am excited for the opening as it shows another step in our growing economy with local citizens being able to start a new business in Troy,” Stephens said. “There are always bragging rights to be had about how good a restaurant’s Philly cheesesteaks are, and I am looking forward to it.”
Muhammad added that ‘What the Cluck!’ will continuously be engaged with the community in a unique way.
“We are always listening to the community, their needs and wants — I think our vision aligns with what the market needs,” Muhammad said. “First and foremost, we will have delicious food, but on top of that we are focusing on providing a fun experience in every detail including the interior design, menu naming, interactions with staff and everything that you will remember after a meal is over.
“We will be open past midnight on Thursday to Monday every week to cater for late night cravings; on other days, we are planning events such as open mics, food challenges and other fun ways for people to get together and enjoy.”
Noah Houston, a senior economics major from Alabaster, said he is excited to have a new wing place in Troy.
“It seems like a cool place to eat,” Houston said. “It’s awesome to be able to get wings late night on weekends.”
Muhammad said his goal is to create a local community of fun, humor and art, not only a restaurant.
“Most people are united with food, but if you add fun to food you build a community,” Muhammad said. “As an artist myself, my ultimate goal is to help enliven and stimulate the local art scene in Troy by supporting artists of all kinds at our locations and whenever possible.”
