Much loved city chicken shop that 'would survive a…

Much loved city chicken shop that 'would survive a nuclear war'

If you've been on a night out in Liverpool, chances are you've ended up in Chicken Bazooka.

The chicken shop has stood in the same spot on Ranelagh Place in the city centre for so long that, in the words of DJ Sean Sines, "Bazooka Chicken would survive a nuclear war." Nizar Al-Liabi took over the chicken shop with a business partner in 1999, which he now runs independently.

Chicken Bazooka had big boots to fill, with the shop once being home to KFC. But while many takeaways have come and gone over the last two decades, Chicken Bazooka has managed to survive in an ever-changing city centre.

Today its customers are predominately students and football fans who pile into the shop after the match or a night out.

Nizar, 65, told the ECHO: "When you give the customer a good service they come back. The people want a fast service and the quality of the food - we always try to do that.

"People come in and say 'I've been here for years and years - do you remember me?' A lot of students from abroad when they come from overseas they say 'do you remember me' - they love it here."

Nizar Al-Liabi has been the owner of Chicken Bazooka since 1999 (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Nizar said he ended up opening a business in Liverpool "by chance" after coming over to the UK from Iraq. He said: "I came over to do my PHD and then the war started. I did my PHD in Manchester - that's why I settled there."

It's not all been plain sailing for Chicken Bazooka as a late night takeaway. Nizar said: "To be honest we used to have to call the police a lot when 051 was there - too much. But since they closed the amount of trouble, it has reduced."

In September 2021, Nizar was assaulted by a man who was caught on camera throwing furniture at him. Nizar said while there is "less trouble" in the shop than there once was, you have to "get used to it otherwise you cannot stand it".

He added: "That's part of the job, especially when you're in the city centre. Part of the job is drunk people."

The ECHO paid a visit to Chicken Bazooka back in 2017 after a raw chicken burger was served to a customer. Speaking of that incident, Nizar said the staff member who served the burger didn't follow the correct processes and was subsequently dismissed from their job.

Chicken Bazooka was described as a "Liverpool heritage site" by one customer (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Nizar said the shop is in a "good spot" in the city centre but it's not as busy as it once was. He said: "When they pushed the city towards Liverpool ONE there was a lot of change here - less people."

Today the shop's busiest day is Saturday, while the most sold items are chicken burgers and spicy chicken wings. A quick search on Twitter shows how many people remember Chicken Bazooka from their visits to the city and how it's become something of a Liverpool institution.

One customer said: "Chicken Bazooka in Liverpool changed my life."

Another tweeted: "There's a lot of reasons why I love Liverpool, but the main one is the existence of 'Chicken Bazooka'."

While a third said: "Chicken Bazooka is a Liverpool heritage site. Been there for 25yrs+. Epic."