A new chicken and seafood chain has made its home in the former KFC building on Atherley Road.
Kajun Chicken & Seafood opened its eighth Ontario restaurant in Orillia last month. They specialize in fried chicken, fish, and gourmet sandwiches.
Owner Amir Khan Zahoor, a native of Pakistan who lives in Scarborough, says Orillia is the perfect place for him and his family to begin a new business venture.
"It's a very nice and quiet area," he said. "We've met so many people here and they are very humble, nice, and welcoming."
Khan Zahoor, 50, says Kajun Chicken & Seafood cooks each order to the demand of customers.
"We make sure our customers come and go with a smile on their face," he said. "We make sure they get their order fresh."
While Khan Zahoor says he respects all of his competitors, he believes he has the best chicken restaurant in town.
"We don't serve any frozen chicken," he said. "It's all fresh meat that comes to us from a shop two times a week. We marinate it and then serve it to the people."
Khan Zahoor hasn't yet opened the restaurant's drive-thru because he wants to meet his new customers face-to-face.
"I want to see their reactions and listen to their honest feedback," he said. "We try to do our best and my team is very new, but we are learning really fast and doing very well."
So far, the feedback from customers has been all positive, Khan Zahoor says.
"It's all been excellent," he said. "We have so many returning customers who are coming from Rama, downtown, and from all over the city."
Once his restaurant is established, Khan Zahoor plans to give back to the community and the efforts to build a new hospital in Orillia.
"I want to be involved with public activities," he said. "We want to help with the hospital and collect a lot of funds for that."
Khan Zahoor thanks the community for welcoming him to the community and supporting his business.
"I really appreciate our neighbours who are welcoming me and coming to our store," he said. "Orillia is becoming a part of my family and I'm really happy about that."
Kajun Chicken & Seafood is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit their website.
