Columbus an unwitting star in Spurlock film
In a few weeks, the world may discover how hundreds of central Ohioans were taken in by the promise of a better chicken sandwich.
Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s pop-up restaurant, Holy Chicken, that was open for a few days last November turned out to be less test market than production studio. The world debut for Spurlock’s next documentary, “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” is next month at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In November, Spurlock said he was developing a new restaurant concept around sandwiches made with humanely raised chicken.
Holy Chicken opened for four days in a former Wendy’s at 2405 Schrock Road. He added that he was working with several partners on the concept with the goal of opening a permanent location in early 2017. Given central Ohio’s history as a test market, it made some sense.
“We searched through a couple different cities,” Spurlock told The Dispatch last year. “All signs pointed to Columbus.”
At the debut of Holy Chicken, which attracted officials from Mayor Andrew Ginther’s office, Experience Columbus and others, as well as hundreds of customers, some people noticed that all was not as it seemed.
Anyone entering the store had to sign waivers agreeing to be filmed. Signs on the tables informed people that the chicken was raised in typical industrial fashion, instead of the free-range, humane billing Spurlock had given it. He also spoke about how colors and textures were chosen for how they made people feel good, such as the green walls and wood counter tops.
Spurlock rose to fame with 2004’s “Super Size Me” in which he documented his experience eating nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 days. It was a takedown of the fast-food industry. He has made many films since then, but food and how corporations manipulate it is a common theme.
No trailers or previews are available for “Super Size Me 2,” but the headline for it on the festival’s website, “Muckraking filmmaker Morgan Spurlock reignites his battle with the food industry — this time from behind the register — as he opens his own fast food restaurant,” is pretty clear.
Holy Chicken is likely going to take on the idea that, in the hands of food companies, chicken is often pitched as healthier than the alternatives, such as beef. Spurlock hinted at that last year.
“Chicken is the new burger,” he told The Dispatch.
He also noted that the sandwiches served at his Holy Chicken would be 750 to 800 calories each, “It’s a big sandwich,” he said. For comparison, a Big Mac contains 563 calories.