Anchorage, AK – The latest destination eatery to open in Spenard is the Chicken Shack – a meticulous and modern take on classic Americana dining. As the name implies, fried chicken is at the center of the culinary universe here, but the menu includes a wide variety of southern-inspired dishes with a decidedly northern twist.
Aurora Hablett created the visual identity for Chicken Shack.
The restaurant is the latest creation of Chef Shana Whitlock, the guiding force behind the much-missed Torchon and – more recently – the revamped Sack’s in downtown Anchorage (before its merger with Crush last August). Her tagline for the new restaurant is, “the American table reimagined.”
The Chicken Shack has opened its doors in the Northern Lights Village – just east of Minnesota Drive and two doors south of Mad Dog Graphx!
Where Torchon was dedicated to the gourmand, Chef Shana caters to a broader clientele with the Chicken Shack. Comforting favorites like slow braised and smoked pulled chicken or pork sandwiches, marinated and grilled chops, pork ribs, cheddar grits, and collard greens with bacon have been updated with love and attention to detail.
Desserts have not been overlooked. Everything is made from scratch, including the bourbon vanilla ice cream, the porter caramel sauce, the made-to-order mini donuts, the hand pies filled with apples and cinnamon, and bacon s’mores assembled from milk chocolate and housemade marshmallow.
[L] Chef Shana’s chef’s coat carries the new logo. [M] The to-go menu, at a servers’ station. [R] The Chicken Shack offers several local brews on tap and in cans.
When Chef Shana approached Mad Dog to create an identity for the new restaurant, we knew the logo needed to reflect the quirky neighborhood’s spirit, be fun and irreverent, and still represent the elevated culinary experience Chef Shana is known for providing. It needed to stand out in the crowded midtown-restaurant market space and immediately establish the Chicken Shack as an exciting new option for lunch and dinner.
The food is clearly the star at the Chicken Shack – including their chicken and waffle sandwich drizzled with Alaska honey, and the house slaw with kale and brussels sprouts.
We worked with Shana and her architect Petra Sattler-Smith of Lumen|design to make sure the mark would appropriately convey the character and charisma of the space and the menu. The logo adds tons of personality to the branding, and sets expectations high for the dining experience.
Sandwiches, salads, and sides share the menu with fried chicken, biscuits, and desserts at the Chicken Shack.
The Chicken Shack is located in the Northern Lights Village on Northern Lights Blvd. in Anchorage, just before the intersection at Minnesota Drive.