Hattie B's plans Germantown, Birmingham locations

As if Germantown weren't hot enough, in about 18 months it's going to get hotter yet.

Hattie B's Hot Chicken will anchor a mixed-use space at the corner of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Monroe Street where the Helen's Hot Chicken truck currently parks.

I spent some time talking to Nick Bishop Sr. and Nick Jr. about their family history — one that now boasts three generations of restaurateurs — when they slipped in this little gem about their growth plans.

The father-son team plans to build the new property from the ground up, which will include retail space and three stories of apartments. Nick Jr. says they are shooting for a late 2016 or early 2017 opening.

That's not the only news from the Bishops. Their growth plans include regional expansion, and their first location outside Nashville is Birmingham, Ala., where Nick Sr. lived for a time during his Morrison's Cafeteria days. They are shooting for early 2016 for that location.

This is exciting news for the continued proselytizing of the "United Church of the Burning Bird." The company also finished its remodeling of the old Biscuit Love Truck Airstream trailer, now sporting a bold, red wrap which has its own gravitational pull, and can often be found parked outside the company's new test kitchen on Post Road near Belle Meade.

Read more about my rollicking conversation with the Bishops in my column next week.

Reach Jim Myers at 615-259-8367 and on Twitter @ReadJimMyers.