Snowden River Parkway is leaning hard into its new identity as Columbia’s unofficial “chicken alley.” Pollo Campero is headed to Snowden Square, taking over the shuttered Boston Market and joining a pair of national chicken brands along the strip. Once it opens, there will be at least three national chicken chains packed into a short stretch of road, giving quick-service diners a tightly clustered lineup of crispy options. The local operator says the project has been in the works for years and he is aiming to open the new restaurant by June or July.
What’s moving in
Pollo Campero will occupy the former Boston Market building at Snowden Square, as reported by the
. According to the paper, the tenant will take over the space once used by the rotisserie chain and convert it for fast-casual service.
Snowden’s growing “chicken alley”
The new Campero will join a Raising Cane’s and a recently opened Chick-fil-A just down the strip, turning the area into a dense hub for fried-chicken fans. YellowPages lists Raising Cane’s at 9071 Snowden River Parkway, while moved into the former Bertucci’s reported that Chick-fil-A took over the 9081 address in late March.
Owner, permits and timeline
Public records show the parcel is owned by Deoudes Family Limited Partnership, which bought the property in 2006 and has been overseeing the redevelopment of the strip. Public property records list the Deoudes family as the current owner. The operator told the Baltimore Sun the project required a long round of negotiations, leasing, and permitting once an occupant was found.
Why more chicken?
“Clustering chicken restaurants can be an effective business tactic,” restaurant analyst Philippe Duverger said, a line that helps explain why national chicken chains keep landing in the same pockets of retail space. For diners, it means more choice in a single lot; for operators, it creates convenience-driven competition that can lift overall foot traffic…