Chicken George spices up St Albans

Cult fried-chicken brand Chicken George is set to open its first restaurant in St Albans after completing the letting of a prominent retail unit in the city.

The deal sees Chicken George take the 2,586 sq ft former Pizza Hut unit at the Victoria Street entrance to the Maltings Shopping Centre on a long-term lease – a move that owner Chris Cheah describes as a “full-circle moment”. The family-run brand, founded more than 40 years ago in Luton, has a loyal regional following for its award-winning wings, loaded fries and bold flavours.

Hugo Harding, who advised The Maltings, said the arrival of Chicken George is expected to be a major draw for visitors:

“We are delighted to have completed the letting of this unit to Chicken George. Their arrival will attract new visitors to both the centre and St Albans more broadly, adding to the area’s vibrant food scene. We’re also excited to see how Chicken George transforms the unit, as their distinctive designs always create an engaging customer experience. We believe this will be a highly successful location for them.”

With existing sites in Bedford and Hitchin, the St Albans opening – planned for early 2026 – marks the brand’s latest expansion across Hertfordshire. For Chris, known as Chicken George Jnr, the new location is particularly meaningful.

“As kids growing up in Luton, we used to jump on the bus to St Albans and head straight for the all-you-can-eat buffet at the old Pizza Hut in this very spot,” he said. “All these years later, to be opening a Chicken George Jnr here is honestly pretty cool.”

The business was founded by his father, George Cheah Snr – affectionately dubbed the Original Chicken George – whose early career helping to open some of KFC’s first restaurants outside London forged a lifelong passion for fried chicken, flavour and community. That legacy still shapes the brand today.

Chris added that The Maltings felt like a natural home: “We’ve known Richard, the centre manager, for a while and loved the community vibe at the Summer Sounds event we did with him. His passion for The Maltings matches our passion for Chicken George. When this unit became available, it was a no-brainer.”

Richard Marrett, centre manager at The Maltings, said the centre was “delighted to welcome such a well-loved brand,” adding that many local residents already know Chicken George from neighbouring towns and at St Albans City FC.

The new restaurant will offer the brand’s signature crispy chicken, burgers, wraps and loaded fries in a relaxed eat-in and takeaway format.

Centre manager at The Maltings, Richard Marrett and owner of

Chicken George, Chris Cheah (Image: PR4)