Editor’s note: Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, curated by editors from Kansas City’s wide array of hard-working entrepreneurs and business owners.
Selection criteria is based on factors like business leadership, product or service fit, market strategy, expansion and scaling efforts, and likelihood of making news.
Click here to check out more companies featured in the Small Biz to Watch series.
Dennis Alazzeh Chick-In Waffle; photo by Joyce Smith
Business Name: Chick-In Waffle
Founders: Dennis and Sara Alazzeh
Founding year: 2020
Current employee count: 86
Headquarters: 18106 Bundschu Road, Independence, MO, 64056
Locations: Westport Road , Bannister Road, Independence, Overland Park, Lawrence, Liberty (coming soon)
Business type: Restaurant
Company description: Chick‑In Waffle is a fast‑casual restaurant concept specializing in fresh, never frozen, fried chicken served atop crispy and fluffy waffles. What sets us apart isn’t just the menu — it’s our commitment to consistency, creativity, and guest experience. Every plate is designed to deliver consistent, comfort-food excellence across lunch, dinner, and late night menus.
Even for Dennis Alazzeh — who has spent most of this life immersed in the restaurant business — Chick-In Waffle is entering into uncharted territory, the founder shared.
The restaurant — which serves up an American classic with a global twist — first opened in Westport in 2020; it now has five locations in the Kansas City metro area with a sixth in the works, a commissary kitchen and headquarters in Independence, plus an overseas franchise location in the West Bank and Midwest expansion on the horizon.
Meet the small businesses — and the Kansas Citians who make them thrive: Join Startland News Tuesday, Aug. 19 for a reception recognizing their accomplishments and potential, with support from Bank of America, the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund (NTDF) program, and Spark Coworking Kansas City.
“I feel like I’m almost at the point where this is getting bigger than I anticipated,” explained Alazzeh, who grew up helping his father with his Jerusalem Cafe locations in the Kansas City area and initially swore off the restaurant profession. “I feel like I had some sort of a game plan as far as, ‘All right, we’re gonna do this first, this, then this, then we’re going to do this.’ And I’m lucky enough to say that I’ve fulfilled all of those lists already.”
“My dad, at one point, had seven locations scattered throughout Kansas City,” he added, “but he was still very much involved in all of those restaurants every single day. He had to be at all of them at the same time. And I think, with me, I’m at a point where I physically can’t do it. So I had to pivot to the way we run things.”
Now that Alazzeh has the right people in the right places and the right systems in the right business model, he said, Chick-In Waffle is positioned for continued growth.
“It doesn’t make sense to stop,” he continued. “It’s just creating more opportunities for everyone else on our team to grow with us. It would be selfish for me to say, ‘Hey, I’m content and I want to stop.’ I have to keep going and take this thing as far as I can, not just for me and my family, but for all the people that are dependent on us that work with us at Chick-In Waffle.”
Click here to follow Chick-In Waffle on Instagram.
A big stepping stone for the restaurant, Alazzeh noted, was getting the commissary kitchen and production facility in Independence up and running; there they’ll make all of the brand’s signature breading, sauces, and marinades, which then are distributed to all Chick-In Waffle locations.
“We’re excited to be able to control our own destiny when it comes to supply chain,” he added, “and also make our stores more profitable.”
The next step is homing in on what makes Chick-In Waffle special, Alezzah noted.
“We’ve tried a lot of different menu items, different designs of stores, different layouts and setups trying to see what sticks and what works,” he explained. “And I think we’re finally at a point where we know what works.”
Startland News went deeper into Chick-In Waffle’s plans to scale without losing its soul. Check out the Q&A with Dennis Alazzeh below.
QUESTION: How does your business stand out amid a crowded marketplace?
ANSWER: While legacy brands push volume, Chick‑In Waffle pushes culture, quality, and clever scalability. We run lean with 700 square-foot kitchens and high-throughput layouts.Through JCHQ, our in-house manufacturing facility, we produce our signature breading, sauces, and seasonings. We don’t serve “just chicken.” Waffles, sandwiches, loaded fries, wild sauces and limited-time offers that actually turn heads are just a few reasons we stand out from the crowd. From a misfit mascot to dry-humor TikToks and a loyalty program that actually pays out, we connect with Gen Z and Millennials on their turf.
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Q: To what do you credit your business’ success so far?
A: First and foremost, God’s blessings on our family. God gave us the tools and we take those tools — along with our drive and passion — and are constantly chasing the impossible and never settling for average. We share this vision with all of our staff: our company goal and mission of spreading smiles one waffle at a time.
Q: What role has Kansas City played in shaping your business?
A: KC is big enough to scale but small enough to stay personal. Our loyal customers, local vendors, and community partners were our first backers. Whether it’s late-night crowds in Westport or families in Independence, the city gave us our first test and our first believers.
This city knows good food. Barbecue, fried chicken, and comfort cuisine are part of KC’s identity and our menu had to earn its place at that table. That pushed us to elevate our flavors, obsess over sauces, and create something that feels familiar yet our own.
Q: Describe a significant recent turning point for your business or for you as an entrepreneur.
A: Any entrepreneur can attest that we cannot sit still. A restaurant operator is the perfect place for an entrepreneur who suffers from this common symptom of restlessness. However, it’s not scalable unless you can pivot from operator to systems-builder. I had to trust my gut, invest ahead of the curve, and surround myself with people who could help me build infrastructure, not just ideas. One of the biggest turning points for Chick‑In Waffle — and for me personally — was investing into our own food manufacturing and distribution facility, JCHQ.
Q: What should Kansas City be watching for next?
A: We will continue growing in the KC market with the newest location opening in Liberty this fall. We also plan to expand outside of KC by rolling out a game-changing modular prototype — drive-thru focused — under 1,000 square feet and built in 90 days.
Expect to see more Chick‑In Waffle locations popping up fast, in places you didn’t expect. We’re scaling smart, not just big.This isn’t just about restaurants. It’s about building a Kansas City-born food empire with national reach.
And through it all, we’ll keep it loud, late, and flavorful.
ICYMI: Brothers bringing Jerusalem Cafe, Chick-In Waffle, sober bar mashup to Power & Light
Q: Anything else should we know?
A: Chick‑In Waffle was built to move fast, stay bold, and scale without losing soul. We’re not chasing trends. We’re building a brand that people crave, respect, and remember. Kansas City is just the beginning.
The Small Biz to Watch series is presented by Bank of America. Additional support has been provided by the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund (NTDF) program and Spark Coworking Kansas City.
