LINCOLN SQUARE — The wait for Budlong Nashville Hot chicken and Spudnuts is over — for Lakeview residents.
Nope, that's not a typo.
Budlong owner Jared Leonard announced Wednesday that he had entered a partnership with Phil Tadros to take over the space occupied as recently as Tuesday by Bunny, the micro bakery, at 2928 N. Broadway.
"Lincoln Square is not quite ready but we'll be open in Lakeview in a few weeks," Leonard posted to Facebook, referencing Budlong's long-gestating plans for the Lincoln Square storefront at 4619 N. Western Ave.
Leonard told Eater Chicago he's aiming for a May 10 opening on Broadway.
Bunny, which opened in January, was a joint venture between Tadros and Michelin-starred chef Iliana Regan, who also runs Lincoln Square's Elizabeth restaurant.
On Tuesday, Tadros and Regan announced they were parting ways and Bunny was shuttering for good. Regan has already resurrected the brand on Facebook as Bunny Bakery and Workshop, with an address listed as "nowhere right now."
Leonard also runs Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse in Rogers Park, which is where he's been perfecting his Nashville Hot recipe while building out the Lincoln Square Budlong diner.
In early April, Leonard said of the Lincoln Square site: "If we weren't open in May, I'd be disappointed. We're close."
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