Baes Fried Chicken

Baes Fried Chicken, also known as Baes Chicken, is a Portland, Oregon restaurant brand founded by restaurateur Micah Camden and National Football League player Ndamukong Suh. The first restaurant opened in November 2019 in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, occupying the former Ash Street Saloon space. From the beginning, the concept centered on fried chicken prepared for efficient takeout and delivery, while also offering dine-in service and a menu designed to travel well. Opening-day promotion included the distribution of 1,000 free chicken sandwiches. The menu combines several chicken formats with familiar Southern-influenced accompaniments. Customers can order fried or grilled chicken as tenders, bone-in pieces, or sandwiches. Side dishes have included coleslaw, kale, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and waffle fries. The brand’s operating model has emphasized speed, consistency, and portability, positioning it within Portland’s fast-casual restaurant landscape rather than as a formal full-service Southern restaurant. Local coverage highlighted the restaurant’s ability to maintain product quality during takeout and delivery. Baes expanded beyond its original location during the COVID-19 period. A second location opened in July 2020 on Bybee Boulevard in the Sellwood-Moreland area, replacing a Boxer Ramen restaurant. That outpost later closed. During the 2021 Super Bowl, Baes donated proceeds from both of its then-operating locations to the Suh Family Foundation, connecting the restaurant to its co-owner’s charitable activities. The brand also operated as a vendor at the Moda Center, Portland’s major indoor arena, extending its presence into event concessions. A third brick-and-mortar restaurant opened on Alberta Street in the Concordia neighborhood of northeast Portland on January 14, 2023. The Alberta location broadened the concept with brunch-oriented dishes, including chicken-fried-steak waffles, maple-bacon biscuits, and deviled eggs with smoked-trout caviar. That location had closed by February 2025. The Sellwood-Moreland location has also closed, leaving the original Old Town Chinatown restaurant as the principal location identified in the available reference material. Baes received favorable attention from Portland food publications. The Oregonian included it among the city’s best inexpensive restaurants in 2020 and described its food as surprisingly tasty. Eater Portland selected its chicken sandwich for a 2021 roundup of notable fried-chicken sandwiches, while Portland Monthly included the brand in a 2021 overview of Portland’s best fried chicken. Baes is best understood as a locally focused restaurant brand rather than a national chain: its identity is tied to Portland, its founders’ local hospitality activities, a concise chicken-centered menu, and a mix of neighborhood and venue-based operations.

Baes Fried Chicken was established in Portland, Oregon, by restaurateur Micah Camden and professional football player Ndamukong Suh. Camden had already been associated with several Portland food businesses, including Blue Star Donuts, Boxer Ramen, and SuperDeluxe. Suh brought a public profile from the National Football League and a connection to Portland through his ownership and charitable activities. Together, they developed Baes as a chicken-focused restaurant with a menu and service model suited to takeout, delivery, and quick dining. The original Baes restaurant opened in November 2019 in Old Town Chinatown, in a space previously occupied by Ash Street Saloon. Its launch was accompanied by a substantial promotional giveaway: 1,000 free chicken sandwiches were distributed on opening day. The restaurant’s menu focused on fried and grilled chicken served in multiple forms, including tenders, bone-in portions, and sandwiches. Southern-inspired sides such as coleslaw, kale, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and waffle fries complemented the chicken. Local restaurant coverage emphasized the brand’s operational efficiency and its effort to ensure that food retained its quality during transport. Baes pursued local expansion in 2020. The owners confirmed plans for a second location on Bybee Boulevard in the Sellwood-Moreland area, using a site that had previously housed another Camden-associated restaurant, Boxer Ramen. The Sellwood-Moreland outpost opened in July 2020. Its development took place during a period when restaurants were adapting to major changes in dine-in activity and an increased reliance on takeout and delivery. The location later closed, although the available reference material does not specify its exact closing date or reason. The brand also developed a charitable and event-oriented presence. In connection with the 2021 Super Bowl, Baes donated all proceeds from both of its locations to the Suh Family Foundation. The restaurant was also listed as a food vendor at the Moda Center, giving the brand access to arena customers in addition to neighborhood traffic. These activities complemented its core restaurant operations without changing its essentially Portland-based identity. Baes opened its third brick-and-mortar location on Alberta Street in Portland’s Concordia neighborhood on January 14, 2023. The Alberta restaurant added a more expansive brunch offering to the brand’s chicken-centered menu. Reported dishes included chicken-fried-steak waffles, maple-bacon biscuits, and deviled eggs with smoked-trout caviar. The location had closed by February 2025. The Sellwood-Moreland location had also closed, leaving the original Old Town Chinatown site as the principal location identified in the available material. Portland media gave Baes generally positive attention. The Oregonian included the restaurant in a 2020 selection of the city’s best inexpensive restaurants. Eater Portland named its chicken sandwich in a 2021 list of notable fried-chicken sandwiches, and Portland Monthly included Baes in a 2021 survey of Portland’s best fried chicken. These reviews established the brand as a recognized local participant in Portland’s competitive casual dining scene. Available sources do not document national franchising, public-company ownership, major investment activity, or a broad international footprint.

1. 2025Alberta Street location closes

   The Alberta Street location had closed by February 2025.

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2. 2023Alberta Street restaurant opens

   A third Baes brick-and-mortar location opened on Alberta Street on January 14, 2023.

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3. 2021Suh Family Foundation donation

   The restaurant donated proceeds from both locations during the 2021 Super Bowl to the Suh Family Foundation.

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4. 2020Sellwood-Moreland expansion

   Baes opened a second restaurant on Bybee Boulevard in the Sellwood-Moreland area in July 2020. The location later closed.

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5. 2019Original Old Town Chinatown restaurant opens

   Micah Camden and Ndamukong Suh opened the first Baes Fried Chicken restaurant in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown in November 2019.

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A Portland fast-casual chicken restaurant focused on quickly served fried and grilled chicken, travel-friendly takeout and delivery, and Southern-inspired sides.

• Fried chickenChicken2019

  Baes’s core offering is fried chicken served in several formats, including tenders, bone-in pieces, and sandwiches. The restaurant’s preparation and service model is designed for fast service and for maintaining quality in takeout and delivery.

• Grilled chickenChicken2019

  In addition to fried preparations, Baes offers grilled chicken. The option broadens the menu beyond fried items while retaining the restaurant’s focus on quickly served chicken meals.

• Chicken sandwichesSandwiches2019

  Chicken sandwiches are one of Baes’s most visible offerings and were featured in Portland food coverage. The sandwiches use the restaurant’s fried-chicken format and are positioned for convenient counter service, takeout, and delivery.

• Southern-inspired sidesSide dishes2019

  Reported side dishes include coleslaw, kale, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and waffle fries. These sides provide traditional accompaniments to the chicken-centered menu and support the brand’s casual Southern-inspired positioning.

• Alberta Street brunch menuBrunch2023

  The Alberta Street location expanded the concept with brunch dishes such as chicken-fried-steak waffles, maple-bacon biscuits, and deviled eggs with smoked-trout caviar. This menu was associated with the Alberta location, which had closed by February 2025.

• 2021Super Bowl proceeds donation

  Portland, Oregon

  Baes donated all proceeds from both of its locations during the 2021 Super Bowl to the Suh Family Foundation.

  Outcome. The campaign directed restaurant revenue to the charitable foundation associated with co-owner Ndamukong Suh.

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• 2019Opening-day chicken sandwich giveaway

  Portland, Oregon

  Baes distributed 1,000 free chicken sandwiches when its original Old Town Chinatown restaurant opened.

  Outcome. The promotion marked the launch of the Portland restaurant brand and generated an opening-day customer event.

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• 2023Add an Alberta Street location and brunch offeringStrategy

  Baes continued its Portland expansion after operating neighborhood restaurants and a Moda Center vendor operation.

  What changed. The brand opened a third brick-and-mortar restaurant on Alberta Street on January 14, 2023, with additional brunch-oriented dishes.

  Aftermath. The Alberta Street location had closed by February 2025.

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• 2020Expand into Sellwood-MorelandStrategy

  After opening its first restaurant in Old Town Chinatown, Baes pursued a second neighborhood location on Bybee Boulevard in Sellwood-Moreland.

  What changed. The brand opened the second restaurant in July 2020 in a space that had previously housed Boxer Ramen.

  Aftermath. The Sellwood-Moreland location later closed; the available source does not state when or why.

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• 2025Baes Alberta Street location closes

  The Alberta Street restaurant had closed by February 2025, reducing the brand’s brick-and-mortar footprint.

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• 2023Baes opens an Alberta Street restaurant

  A third brick-and-mortar Baes location opened on Alberta Street in Portland’s Concordia neighborhood on January 14, 2023. The site added brunch-oriented dishes to the brand’s menu.

  Product launch
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• 2021Baes donates Super Bowl proceeds to the Suh Family Foundation

  For the 2021 Super Bowl, Baes donated proceeds from both of its locations to the Suh Family Foundation.

  Campaign
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• 2020Baes opens a second Portland location

  The brand opened a Sellwood-Moreland location on Bybee Boulevard in July 2020, expanding beyond its original Old Town restaurant.

  Product launch
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• 2019Baes Fried Chicken opens its first Portland restaurant

  Micah Camden and Ndamukong Suh opened the original Baes Fried Chicken restaurant in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown in November 2019. The opening included a giveaway of 1,000 chicken sandwiches.

  OtherProduct launch
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1. Baes Fried Chicken