New River Market Restaurant ‘Chicken Please’ Goes Beyond Brazil

By Kevin Collison

Two Brazilian volleyball buddies who brought a “Taste” of their home country to the River Market six years ago are opening a new restaurant aimed at a larger audience, “Chicken Please.”

“We always wanted to expand,” said Cristian Maciel. “Taste of Brazil is doing great, but we talked about what we could that is more normal.”

Normal as in non-Brazilian specific fare that he and co-owner Marco Rabello plan to offer at their new place in the River Market stall formerly occupied by the Farm to Table kitchen at 21 E. Third St.

“We decided to do something more appealing for families with a touch of our own recipes,” Rabello said.

Chicken Please will serve staples such as chicken tenders, chicken and waffles, and sweet potato fries, but also will add some unique dishes including South American-style chicken stroganoff and pot pie.

Other dishes will include chicken meatballs, and a sandwich featuring fried, breaded chicken breast on a bun with ice cream.

Rabello said the emphasis will be serving patrons fresh food quickly.

“Food that people can walk around with in the market such as chicken fingers and fries,” he said.

The back story of Maciel and Rabello began when they met as teenagers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Both were gifted volleyball players and eventually moved together to Minas Gerais, Brazil, to play on a city team.

Then Rabello was recruited to play volleyball on the Park University team. A year later, Rabello joined him. They graduated in 2007 with a plan to bring everyday Brazilian food to Kansas City.

They opened Taste of Brazil in the River Market in August 2013 and four years later began operating a food truck. They divide the labor with Rabello in charge of the restaurant and Maciel the food truck.

The new Chicken Please is expected to open in mid- to late May. The hours will be Mondays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.