The Revilla Family of Chop-N-Chicken (L-R) Daugther Monica, owner Frida, father Freddy, son David.

The Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce annually  honors community and business leaders for their outstanding service to McLean. Sixteen men and women, our neighbors, received awards in a ceremony last week for their amazing work.  The Ear is profiling each of the 16 winners.

Chop-N-Chicken – New Business of the Year

Chop-n-Chicken began as a small vision in the Revilla family’s McLean home in 2008. Upon retiring from working across Latin America with the Inter-American Institute for the Cooperation on Agriculture, Freddy and Frida felt it was time to settle down in one location and fulfill their dream of starting their own business. Frida has had a life-long passion for cooking, taking advantage of the various countries she lived in to learn how to cook the local cuisine. Therefore, they decided to share that passion and open a restaurant. Frida, Freddy, and their three children spent months planning the concept of healthy home-made fast-food, using Frida’s knowledge to develop their recipes. Finally in October 2009, the Revilla family’s desire to open a restaurant that offered customers a different option to the usual healthy meal came true, and Chop-n-Chicken opened its doors in McLean.

Chop-n-Chicken and the Revilla family hope to provide Mclean with a tasty home-made meal that is made with fresh and high-quality ingredients. They strive to provide a healthy meal at a reasonable price in a clean, family-friendly environment.

The McLean Ear chatted with the Revilla family Wednesday at their restaurant at 1375 Beverly Rd.

“People don’t have time to cook and we need to eat something healthy so (we make) healthy fast food,” said owner Frida Revilla, surrounded by her family. “Everything is made from scratch.”

Daughter Monica, who works at the Organization of American States during the day then comes to the family restaurant to help, said “The same chicken soup she made for us as kids, she makes here.”

Chop-N-Chicken is truly a family restaurant. Husband Freddy does the cooking. Monica does the decorating and the marketing. Son Javier, with a college degree in business, does a variety of jobs. Son David, a senior at George Mason University, whose goal is medical school, is in charge of customer service.

Frida Revilla, a native of Bolivia, is very taken with the Chamber’s recognition of her hard work. “It’s a big, big honor—not just an award — a great honor for me,” she said through tears.