The Honeybird location at USC Village will close its doors Saturday after six years of serving USC and the local community. The restaurant specialized in fried chicken and offered a selection of sides to choose from. 

Owner Phil Lee attributed the closure to numerous different factors, including a shift in eating habits and increased competition from other restaurants. With the existence of other big-brand restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes on Figueroa Street, Lee found it progressively more difficult to compete. 

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“The dining dynamic of the school has changed a little bit. What people want, what people don’t want,” Lee said. “Fried chicken was the craze five years ago. I think people still enjoy it, but there’s so much competition, too.”

The coronavirus pandemic also contributed greatly to the decrease in business, Lee said. Certain groups of students, such as the graduate and dental programs, moved to hybrid learning. With fewer students on campus, Lee noticed a marked difference in the amount of customers compared to when Honeybird first opened. 

“We’re not seeing as many people here at [USC] Village like we used to,” Lee said. “We started when [USC] Village started, when it was revamped and reintroduced to the community. We were one of the first restaurants to come in and I remember it was busy, busy, kind of crazy.”

Despite being disappointed to leave USC, Lee said he’s thankful for the time he spent on campus. 

“We were hoping to be here for a long time but, unfortunately, it just doesn’t make sense for us to be here anymore,” Lee said. “It was a cool experience … just to be involved with the revamp six years ago, it was really cool to see how USC has transformed this property … I was excited and proud to be a part of the beginning of [USC Village].” 

Sarah Little, a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering, was upset to hear Honeybird would be leaving USC Village. Little said she enjoyed the spot, saying it offered a sense of nostalgia.

“[The food] was good. They have really nice people working there. There’s always a good vibe,” Little said. “It [would] remind me of home. It’s fried chicken and I’m from North Carolina: It’s like a comfort food.”

Cara Ishisaka, a junior majoring in psychology, was impartial about her Honeybird experience. 

“I’ve only been once,” Ishisaka said. “I got the fish sandwich and waffle fries … I thought it was okay, it was pretty soggy. I’m a big fries person.”

Some students’ apathy toward Honeybird stemmed from its prices. Cynthia Zhang, a junior majoring in business administration, said the cost of the spot’s food detracted from her experience — but she said affordability is an issue throughout the food offerings at USC Village.

“The prices are what make it just okay. But this is a systemic issue, this is not a Honeybird-isolated incident,” Zhang said. 

Little echoed Zhang’s thoughts on the prices of local food. 

“[Honeybird] was definitely really expensive for what it was, but I think a lot of [USC] Village is expensive,” Little said. 

Zhang said she hoped Honeybird’s closing would lead to change regarding the high prices at USC Village. 

“There’s some sentimental sadness to [Honeybird leaving],” Zhang said. “But I think that this is a wake-up call for all of the communities in the USC Village.”

In the future, Lee said he plans to venture into other endeavors and focus on his original location located in La Cañada Flintridge. 

“I didn’t start off doing fried chicken when I first started cooking, so I would love to jump into other projects around the area,” Lee said.