A new Korean fried chicken restaurant is open in Centre County. Check out the menu
A new Korean fried chicken shop is up and running in Centre County.
Pelicana Chicken launched a State College franchise with a soft opening last week at 1869 N. Atherton St. next to J&C Asian Market. The site was previously home to Lohr’s Auto Sales and Service, which closed after nearly four decades in business.
Pelicana’s menu offers guests the chance to pick from a wide range of batters, meats, sauces and sides. Batter options, for example, range from original seasoning and extra crispy to buffalo style and the restaurant’s signature soy garlic flavor. Guests can choose to coat boneless chicken breasts, thighs and wings in several sauces, including three heated levels of sweet and spicy sauce, honey garlic, sweet chili, honey butter and more. All chicken orders come with a complimentary side of pickled radishes.
The restaurant’s menu also offers three different combo platters, each featuring chicken, French fries, salad and a few appetizers and starting at $20. On top of six salad options and four chicken sandwiches, Pelicana offers more eclectic options like fried calamari and shrimp, Mochi donut cheese balls and fried dumplings, each available stuffed with beef, chicken or vegetables.
The company says its restaurants prepare their food in fresh, new oil daily.
Pelicana plans to operate between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily during its soft opening phase before eventually expanding its hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The restaurant accepts orders online or by phone at 582-220-2129, though it advises customers to allow at least 20 or 25 minutes to prepare each order. Free delivery is available for orders placed directly through Pelicana above $30, the restaurant’s menu says.
So far, guest reception at Pelicana has been strong. An employee on Sunday said the restaurant had already sold out of chicken by 1 p.m. after just about two hours in business.
Pelicana’s State College franchise marks the company’s third restaurant in Pennsylvania, joining a pair in Philadelphia. Most of Pelicana’s U.S. restaurants are located near New York City and Los Angeles, though some franchises are scattered in Maryland, Georgia, Texas and other states. Over its history stretching back more than 40 years, Pelicana has opened thousands of restaurants across the globe, including locations in China, South Korea, Australia and Canada.
On its website, the company said Pelicana’s name symbolizes the joy of sharing food with friends and family.
“People believed pelicans carried food in their pouches to bring back to their children,” the website reads. “To many Koreans, that idea overlapped with the memories of parents bringing home a fried chicken on payday.”
Pelicana joins several Korean fried chicken restaurants in Happy Valley, including Tasty K, which opened in downtown State College in 2023. Cluck & Catch, specializing in fried chicken and fish, opened along Westerly Parkway in December.
To learn more about Pelicana or place an order online, visit pelicanausa.com.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 12:03 PM.
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