Chappy’s, formerly So’Pasta, is now open in Edwardsville

Chappy’s, a car-themed burger and fried chicken joint, is now open at 1031 Century Drive in Edwardsville. The restaurant was previously known as So’Pasta, but owner Ryan O’Day – who also owns Wang Gang Asian Eats next door – decided to rebrand, transforming it into Chappy’s. He said Chappy is the “avatar” version of him.

“When we reopened So’Pasta [after] Covid, we had Chappy’s fried chicken on our menu,” O’Day said. “It turns out that the fried chicken was selling way more than anything. [We] looked back on it and said, ‘What if we scrapped it all? Why don’t we just call it Chappy’s and offer burgers [too]?’”

Maintaining some of the pasta selection from So’Pasta, O’Day has expanded the Chappy’s menu to include much more – attracting greater numbers of customers than before. In fact, O’Day said that Chappy’s hit its two-month sales target on the second day of opening.

O’Day, who is particularly enthusiastic about Chappy’s burger selection, recommends several fan favorites. First, the Hot Mess burger features Chappy’s secret sauce, Imo’s Pizza provel cheese, pastrami and sriracha. Next, the Cheesehead burger comes with fried mozzarella sticks and, according to O’Day, it’s “stupid good.” There’s even a burger with peanut butter and jelly called the Wheelhouse Burger.

“Creekstone Farms is the brand of burger we’re selling,” O’Day said. “It’s a beef and brisket blend [that] you’ve got to try for yourself. We’re [also] trying to keep things affordable and, for the price point, this is a great burger.”

The chicken side of the menu includes traditional, bone-in fried chicken, as well as tenders and sandwiches. Customers can also choose from a selection of salads, including a buffalo chicken salad, house salad and strawberry salad.

For drinks, when the liquor license is approved, the restaurant will serve beers and seltzers from local mainstay 4 Hands Brewing Co. O’Day has even whipped up an assortment of boozy milkshakes. “Boozy milkshakes are trendy, but I think they’re here to stay,” O’Day said. “We’ll have three or four standing flavors, and we’ll have some fun with weekly or monthly flavors. We’ll have some mixed with RumChata, Jameson Orange [and] a nice roasted coconut rum liquor. The sky’s the limit with what’s available out there, as far as flavors go.”

As for the restaurant’s vibe, Chappy’s is decked with automobilia, and O’Day hopes that it can bring people of all ages together. The restaurant features various automobile artwork and posters, and even gifts a free Hot Wheels car with each kid’s meal. O’Day is also gearing up to host weekly car show. “Every Sunday from 11 to 2 is going to be an open car show,” O’Day said. “If you’ve got a car that’s cool, get it dressed up [and] we’ll give you a place to go.”

The 1,400-square-foot restaurant has 44 seats inside, plus eight seats at the bar. There will also be outdoor seating for roughly 12 people when weather allows. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, although the restaurant is closed on Tuesday. On Friday and Saturday, it's open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.