NJ Students Are Begging Restaurant To 'Bring Back The Tendies'

HACKENSACK, NJ — A group of New Jersey high schoolers have organized on the Internet to fight the good fight, hoping to bring back a beloved chicken tender meal to Houston's restaurant.

Hackensack Academies students, led by Ajay Sachdev, created a Change.org petition hoping to convince the restaurant chain to bring back the "flying chicken platter."

Houston's, which is part of the Hillstone restaurant Group, has a location in Hackensack.

"This message is in regard to the recent removal of chicken tenders, otherwise known as the 'flying chicken platter,' from the menu at Houston's Restaurant," the group wrote.

"My friends and I are frequent customers of the chicken tenders and always buy at least 1-2 chicken tender meals each every visit. Eating chicken tenders together has allowed us to become much closer over what we believe is genuinely the best meal on the planet. We even have a group chat dedicated to when our next meal will be at Houston's. Over social media and through our own word of mouth advertising, we have found a large community of people that are passionate about this menu item. Removing the chicken tenders permanently would devastate us."

Simultaneously, they started the Bring Back the Tendies Instagram page, which shares photos of "tendies" plates and memes.

Still, no movement from the company, who told Macon, Georgia's CBS46 that they are aware of the campaign, but haven't responded to it.

With the company not budging, the students are looking to go a step further.

A GoFundMe petition has been started looking to raise money to place a billboard directly over a Houston's restaurant in Atlanta. A rough rendering of the billboard reads simply: "Bring Back The Tendies."

They say their hand has been forced by the company's inaction.

"We are attempting to raise $5,272 from our friends, family, and fans to afford this billboard. It will cover the exact amount of the billboard rental for four weeks as well as the production cost of the 20ft x 60ft board," the group wrote.

"If you want a chance at returning the best chicken tenders known to man, this is the only way we can have a chance. We need to get the attention of corporate, and a billboard will do just that."

To date, the fundraiser has collected $4,425, and garnered the group national attention.

"As high-school students, we never thought we'd be able to create a fundraiser so wildly successful centered around our favorite meal. We would like to thank each and every one of our supporters for allowing us to reach this incredible figure," they wrote.

If they reach their funding goal, the billboard can be up by June 28, the students said. Perhaps motivated by recent momentum, they shared a hopeful message:

"We're truly going to make tender history together!"

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