Scoville Hot Chicken is headed to Windward Parkway in Milton, adding to a fast-casual chain where about a third of Sandy Springs customers already drive in from north Fulton.

Eddie Maalouf, the Alpharetta-area native who acquired the brand and runs the digital marketing agency BAD Marketing, said in an interview published Wednesday, Sept. 16 that the Milton store will be one of two new locations he plans in the area. He said about a third of the Sandy Springs location's customers come from Alpharetta, Cumming and Milton.

"This whole area is really missing a good hot chicken concept," Maalouf said.

Maalouf grew up in the Alpharetta-Milton corridor, attending Pinecrest Academy and Bridgeway, now called Valor Academy, on Kimball Bridge Road. He built a home next to his parents and runs BAD Marketing's office about half a mile away. He describes the agency as an eight-figure business.

He said the Windward Parkway corridor's diverse population, including residents from Southeast Asia and India, made it a strong fit. Maalouf described the area as home to "spice-forward food cultures" where no one has offered high-quality hot chicken.

Maalouf describes Scoville as fast casual, a step above fast food. The chain uses organic, never-frozen, halal chicken raised without antibiotics. Each fillet weighs seven ounces, according to Maalouf. The Scoville website confirms the halal certification and lists dine-in seating at every location.

The brand operates four Georgia locations: Alpharetta on Kimball Bridge Road, Buckhead, Norcross and Sandy Springs. The website lists Milton alongside Charlotte, New Brunswick and Newark in New Jersey, and Shelby Township, Michigan, as "coming soon."

Maalouf said he first became a regular customer, eating at Scoville after Sunday flag football games with friends. When the brand declined from nine locations to five, he reached out to the owner about buying it. The owner initially said no. But he came back about two weeks later, open to an offer. Maalouf said he spent a year fixing the business before launching the expansion.

That expansion is moving fast. Maalouf said Scoville opened one new location the week before the Sept. 16 interview, with two more set to open within the following three weeks. Beyond Georgia, he said the chain is targeting Tampa, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Michigan and Charlotte.

No specific street address or opening date for the Milton location has been announced. The Scoville website lists it only as "coming soon."