Last weekend I received an e-mail from a complete stranger: “Do you write for Food & Dining? So, when is the Royals Hot Chicken opening in J-town?”

The answer arrived yesterday (January 2): Right now.

As we noted last September, the new Royals at 10305 Taylorsville Road is exactly 290 feet from Feast BBQ’s Jeffersontown store, another of HiCotton Hospitality restaurant group’s popular eateries. What to expect at Royals Hot Chicken? “Nashville-style hot chicken with scratch-made sides, milkshakes, craft beers, and champagne.”

Royals Hot Chicken is expanding to Jeffersontown