The curious case of the missing ‘Chicken’

LAKELAND – A two-feet tall character known as 'Chicken' usually perches on top of Stems and Flappers' serving window, bringing glee to the Lakeland-area food truck's customers.

"We usually keep him standing up on there for everyone to grab and hold and squeak and look at," says Jen Hopf, owner of the business.

Kids especially love Chicken, Hopf says. They are curious about the rainbow-coloured chicken, wanting to interact with him, seeing if he makes a noise, or if there are ways they can help Chicken.

It was a win-win situation. Chicken brings smiles, and he also brings business.

But after another busy night at the Bonnyville Fall on Sept. 14, the rubber rooster has gone missing. It baffled Hopf. Where did Chicken go?

"I poked my head out window, thinking he had just fallen over and was laying on the shelf, but he wasn't there," she said. They went out and looked around the area, checking under the trailer. They found nothing.

With Chicken missing in action, Hopf says she does not expect Chicken back.

But she and her team created a playful missing Chicken poster, hoping to spread the word, and maybe get a laugh or two.

"I figured I'd take that opportunity and just turn it into something silly and fun," says Hopf.

And it seems to be working, as online users are sharing Chicken's poster everywhere.

If anyone helps Chicken get back to his home at Stems and Flappers, Hopf is offering a $50 reward. No questions asked.

If someone may have found Chicken, and chooses not to return him, she hopes they take good care of him and treat him well.

"He does not like to eat his own kind," she says with a laugh. While Chicken does live in a chicken wing trailer, "please don't give him chicken."

Chicken also likes to be hugged. "So, make sure you give him lots of squishes so he can get out his daily amount of speaks and squawks."

A good season Stems and Flappers is a food truck operating in the Lakeland region seasonally. On Sept. 19, the business served its last chicken for the season in St. Paul.

The business has been around for about six years, providing a gluten-free chicken menu. They show up at various community events and also serve private events like weddings and graduation parties.

Hopf says business has been good this past summer season. "This seemed to be our most favourable season yet in years," she says, before recalling when she got started doing the mobile food service.

Prior to owning a food truck, she was already working in the restaurant business for quite a few years, but there were still challenges with the transition. "It was still a big learning curve," particularly learning how to properly run a business, she explains.

But it seems things are looking up for this business. "This was our sixth season," she says, and it took between COVID-19 happening and the years of learning, to get to a point where, "Everything just kind of seemed to fall into place."

"We had a really great year," she says, and many more people now know about the business.

Word-of-mouth is especially important to small businesses like Stems and Flappers.

"It's also been a real honour to be able to serve those that don't feel safe eating out at most establishments," due to wheat allergy or Celiac disease, she says. It can be difficult for some to find a gluten-free restaurant like her business, even in bigger cities.

"It's just been really nice being able to serve absolutely everyone, and have everyone get joy out of our food," says Hopf.