How Chef Art Smith’s World-Famous Chicken Gained Its Competitive Advantage

A new, successful American combination is born: rugby and fried chicken.

From the mind of Art Smith, a two-time James Beard Award winner and long-time celebrity chef who Oprah Winfrey And Lady GagaA new fried chicken concept is coming to Time Out Market Chicago – Sporty Bird.

Smith, a native Floridian who still calls Chicago home, was inspired by his roots to bring Southern cuisine to the world.

“I’m from the American South,” Smith said. “I grew up with a very Southern mother and grandmothers and aunts, and food was a very central part of who we are as a family. And no, we didn’t eat chicken every day.”

His most notable foray into the world of fried poultry was the fried chicken at Table 52 (which closed and reopened in 2016 as Blue Door Kitchen and Garden) on the Gold Coast. The “world famous” fried chicken was also offered at other Southern restaurants, including reunion at Navy Pier, Art and soul in Washington, DC and from the producer to the tableStudio homecoming at Disney Springs.

But at 64 and decades in the food industry, Smith wasn’t sure what his next culinary adventure would be until an unexpected sports partnership gave him new energy.

After reading an article about soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s collaboration with the Hard Rock Café to develop a chicken sandwich, the chef couldn’t help but think, “That looks like fast food – I can do better than that.”

After the founding of Chicago’s first professional rugby teamthe Chicago HoundsSmith seized the opportunity to bring his culinary talents to the world of sports.

“So I called (the Chicago Hounds) and said, ‘I want to make a chicken sandwich,'” Smith recalled.

Smith, who joined the Chicago Hounds as a co-owner in 2024, developed his chicken sandwich so that it will be available at both Time Out Market Chicago and SeatGeek Stadium, where the Hounds play their games. He has teamed up with rugby player Lucas Cancelier and former Jade Court owner Carol Cheung to bridge the gap between sport and food.

Each dish is a personal story for Smith—the Sporty Bird sandwich is served on house-made ciabatta bread, features 24-hour marinated chicken, and is drizzled with a special Sporty sauce that’s an ode to his Southern roots (though admittedly the spiciness level doesn’t really reflect his upbringing). The Milanese sandwich is a nod to the culinary traditions of Argentina, Cancelier’s homeland.

The Bridgeview sandwich, loaded with halal chicken, hummus and baba ghanoush on taboon bread, is a tribute to the large Arab-American community in the suburb where the Hounds play.

Smith is being meticulous about this new culinary venture at Time Out Market, even with the pricing. For under $20, diners get a hearty chicken dish with a heaping helping of mac and cheese and a side salad.

“I don’t like small portions of food,” he said. “I want people to be able to take home things they don’t need. I don’t mind high prices.”

From planned pop-ups to hosting guest chefs at Sporty Bird, Smith has ambitious plans for the future of the chicken stand at Time Out Market and the potential for more chef-created cuisine in sports stadiums.

“I’ve fried chicken for the world,” Smith said. “The business isn’t perfect yet, but I want to make it perfect. And a lot of us are working to make it perfect.”