The New York-Based Fried Chicken Chain At Risk Of Closing Its Doors For Good
Chicken fingers are an explosively popular item that can sustain entire fast food chains, from Raising Cane's to Popeyes. But sometimes the broad appeal of fried chicken strips isn't enough to overcome larger business hurdles, as one New York City-based chicken chain is learning.
Sticky's Finger Joint, which serves fried chicken tenders with over 18 different sauces, as well as other items (formerly including Sticky's S'mores Fries), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2025, per a report from Restaurant Business. At its peak, Sticky's had 16 locations scattered across New York and New Jersey, plus a short-lived ghost kitchen in Philadelphia. Sticky's currently has 12 locations, mostly in lower Manhattan.
Despite its hardship, Sticky's still has its fans. One Reddit comment called it "a gem of fast food. Lots of fun sauces and delicious chicken." But one element of the chain's business difficulties is low post-pandemic foot traffic. Unfortunately, legal issues have also dogged the small chain, including a trademark dispute from a barbecue joint.
Why is Sticky's going bankrupt?
There are many options for fast food chicken tenders out there (both good and bad), like Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chick-fil-A. The category's huge popularity, especially in recent years, put the squeeze on Sticky's, whose customers now have many options for chicken fingers. Lower foot traffic has hit Sticky's hard, especially given its concentration in lower Manhattan, where many office buildings remain vacant post-pandemic.
Alongside business troubles, expensive lawsuits have also shackled Sticky's growth. In 2024, the chain suffered a $600,000 judgement in favor of the landlord of its corporate offices. Although Sticky's is appealing the judgement, the ongoing cost of that legal action is only dragging the business down.
Back in 2022, Sticky's Finger Joint took another legal hit from Sticky Fingers, a barbecue chain that sued over trademark infringement. Although companies like Aldi can successfully imitate other brands without infringing on copyright, this can be a difficult balance to strike. Regardless of the outcome, the cost proved detrimental to Sticky's — and possibly to Sticky Fingers as well, which also filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2025.