Cos Cob's Wildacre Rotisserie Launches 41-Day Chicken Challenge Today

GREENWICH, CT — Can you eat 41 rotisserie chickens in 41 days?

Wildacre Rotisserie, which opened up earlier this year at 147 E. Putnam Ave., in Cos Cob, is starting a chicken challenge Monday in the wake of Alexander Tominsky's impressive feat earlier this month.

Tominsky, a Philadelphia resident, went viral for eating 40 whole chickens in 40 consecutive days. His odyssey towards chicken greatness drew large crowds and a large following on social media.

Wildacre Rotisserie owner Ben Pote said he wanted to up the ante to 41. The winner will get reimbursed for the chickens purchased, and they'll also receive free Wildacre Rotisserie for a year.

Pote said he also wants to contribute to a good cause this holiday season by donating $1,000 to charity partner Neighbor to Neighbor.

Neighbor to Neighbor is a nonprofit organization which aims to create access to food, clothing and basic living essentials. They serve about 500 Greenwich families each week.

"I wanted to make sure we're continuing to support them and this seemed like a really great way to donate to them and bring a lot of attention to the great work they're doing to support those in need," Pote said.

Pote also said this is a good way to highlight a core product of Wildacre Rotisserie — the rotisserie chicken, of course.

Pote sources his chicken from Cooks Venture, an Arkansas-based purveyor.

Unlike chicken from major companies like Tyson, Cooks Venture raises its own slow-growth, free-range heirloom chicken called "The Pioneer." The birds are pasture-raised and fed a diet of non-GMO feed.

"It's rare that rotisserie chicken has kind of a positive moment in the limelight... What Alexander was doing in Philadelphia, this is a really fun story," Pote said. "This is our core product, something we're really proud of. It seemed to be the right moment to do something like this."

To enter into the challenge, guests have to buy a whole chicken from Wildacre Rotisserie for 41 consecutive days (there's a bye for Thanksgiving).

You don't have to eat the whole chicken on the premises. The challenge is working off the honor system, Pote said.

"We're going to assume that if you buy it, that you eat it," he added.

Guests must keep their sales receipts to prove that they purchased a whole chicken for 41 straight days. People can order online, in the restaurant, or get their chicken through delivery like Uber Eats.

"Once you complete the 41 days of whole chicken, we will reimburse the cost of all of the chickens. You'll win a year supply of Wildacre Rotisserie, which is basically a credit up to $2,000. And then we'll also donate $1,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor," Pote said.

A winner is expected to be crowned on Dec. 24.

Let the chicken challenge begin!