Get ready East Liberty – new restaurants are on the way!

The owners of Muddy Waters, the East Liberty oyster bar that you’ve come to know and love, are currently working on not one, but two new projects, planned to open later in 2017.

As we reported in early March, the Twisted Frenchman, Muddy Water’s neighbor on the right, is in the process of moving around the corner to a new Baum Boulevard location. Their new two-story location will feature two restaurants, with the more casual “Bar Frenchman,” on the first floor, and the world-class “Twisted Frenchman” tasting restaurant on the floor above.

Though Muddy Waters will surely miss their neighbor, they are taking advantage of the vacancy to open a 90s hip-hop themed fried chicken restaurant called “the Coop.” Owner Adam Kucenic states that the concept is simple, but very delicious.

“We want to make a fast, casual, fried chicken spot,” says Kucenic. “We have been traveling around the country, visiting different fried chicken restaurants, and practicing our own thing. It will be an urban, street style type of place. The menu will be small, but full of flavor. We also want to have frozen cocktails.”

On the other side of Muddy Waters, where the “Global Food Market” stood for many years, Muddy Waters is working on a Poke Bowl restaurant called “the Big Kahuna.”

Inspired by the fast paced Poke Bowl restaurants that are popping up across the country, Muddy Waters hopes this spot will provide the fast and healthy lunch option that East Liberty is currently lacking. The Big Kahuna will have a Hawaiian feel, and serve customers fresh fish and fresh juices. This location will be more of a “take out” spot with limited seating.

Kucenic is very excited to be adding this new restaurants to the booming East Liberty food scene.

“This area is coming along so fast, even in just the past two years, so much as changed. We try to find the next thing that the city needs, and work to contribute it. We started with the oyster bar, and now we want to do a fried chicken spot, and a poke bowl restaurant,” says Kucenic.

If you can’t wait to try their fried chicken, Good Food Pittsburgh has a secret for you – Muddy Waters is testing their fried chicken sandwiches on a secret late night menu, Friday nights from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

The Coop and the Big Kahuna hope to be open by the end of 2017. For updates on the progress, follow Muddy Water’s Facebook page.

UPDATE, Tuesday, May 9: In response to community backlash on social media and online, Muddy Water’s owner Adam Kucenic tells the Pittsburgh City Paper and WESA that the restaurant will be changing concepts, and names.