Country Fried Duck deals with ‘terribull’ loss

Someone grabbed the Country Fried Duck bull by the horns — and a horn is missing.

When Scott Kleczkowski, the co-owner of the country-themed bar, was closing up for the night at 2 a.m. Friday, he noticed the horn of their mechanical bull had been stolen.

His wife and co-owner Lauren Kleczkowski was also at the bar the night of the incident.

“I was really sad because I was looking forward to bringing the bull out that weekend, but we can’t do that now,” she said. “It’s sad for everybody else that they get to miss out on it too.”

Lauren Kleczkowski said there were large groups coming and leaving the bar that evening, making it hard to pinpoint anyone who might be responsible for taking the horn.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of customers, and they aren’t very happy,” she said. “Happy customers — that’s the biggest thing for us.”

The bull is a major pull for the bar, and is usually brought out once or twice a week when the weather is favorable. As the weather has warmed up, the Kleczkowskis hoped to bring it out more.

Although the horns are not used for holding onto the bull, holes where they once were are a major safety concern because it makes it much easier to get a person’s finger or an entire hand stuck inside while riding the mechanical bull.

The bar has experienced positive business thus far, and Lauren Kleczkowski said it continues to get more and more popular.

“We’ve done a lot of benefit nights and fundraisers, so we’ve been able to give back to the community and other organizations,” she said. “That’s been a real positive part of this.”

Sierra Homer, a junior and a member of Carolina Kickoff and the UNC Equestrian Team, has been a part of these experiences.

“Every time I’ve gone, I’ve gone with a group for events at a benefit night,” she said.

As the social chair for the equestrian team, Homer said that she wanted to have events at the bar because of its festive atmosphere and, of course, the mechanical bull, which fits their team’s theme well.

Liz Makris, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, said she has been to a few social events with her sorority at the bar.

“I really like how the dance floor is so big. It’s especially cool when they turn the fog machine on,” she said.

Although other aspects of the bar could make up for the absence of the mechanical bull, Lauren Kleczkowski said she is eager for it to return. The owners have ordered a new set of horns and are waiting for their arrival.

Still, the owners are excited for the future of the bar.

“I think we’ve been received very well here in Chapel Hill,” Kleczkowski said. “We can see us trending upward. It’s been a wild ride.”

arts@dailytarheel.com