If you pass by the intersection of North Avenue and North Highland, you’ll run across the famous Manuel’s Tavern, which possesses a new addition to the landmark restaurant. Some may think it’s a little house atop of Manuel’s roof or maybe a storage unit for extra space.

Actually, it’s a chicken coop, a safe haven for 24 chickens that reside in the luxurious home on the restaurant’s roof. Brian Maloof, the owner of Manuel’s Tavern, has loved his chickens since the first day they arrived at his doorstep in a box. Now the whole staff enjoys their company and the hardy eggs they produce.

Construction began on the coop at the beginning of April 2013. Gathering all of the recycled and reclaimed materials that make up 60 percent of the coop was a slow process.

“It’s not completely finished,” Maloof said. “There are some details that need to be finished on it. I need to complete the painting, the gutters, the rain barrels, then we’re going to decorate it.”

The chickens have 550 square feet of space that is completely fenced in with chicken wire. The henhouse is small, cozy and colored a light green with lopsided window panes and a large dust bathing area, where the chickens roll around in dust to clean their feathers, underneath it.

Maloof’s inspiration for the rooftop chicken coop began with an experience almost like an epiphany. Manuel’s Tavern was having a hard time over the past three to four years. Maloof said he had meditated over what he needed to do to bolster his business and was surprised when the solution came in the form of chickens.

He described his realization with a reference to a movie: like the main character in one scene, everything he did and everywhere he went he was constantly reminded of chickens. He would turn on the radio and hear the traffic report from the Big Chicken in Marietta, or pick up a magazine to see a chicken on the front cover with the title, “Chickens, The New Thing in Food for 2014.”

He was initially talked out of the idea by an experienced employee but later came back with a newfound fire. He threw caution to the wind and dove in with full force.

After Maloof began construction on the coop, a close friend heard of the chickens and  excitedly appointed herself as poultry manager. She and Maloof took egg grading classes and were certified by Georgia’s Agricultural Department to sell, grade and serve their rooftop eggs.

Maloof and his manager, Frank Waters, are primarily responsible for caring for the chickens.  Every morning, Maloof checks on the chickens, feeds them and makes sure their water is in good shape. The chickens start laying eggs around 10:30 a.m. and end around 4 p.m. Multiple times during the day, Maloof checks on them and brings them snacks and words of comfort.

Manuel’s Tavern houses two types of chickens: the Australian Australorp and the Speckled Sussex. These two breeds are popular because they are hardy, docile and are the most productive egg layers. They also have great heat tolerance and high social skills.

The chickens receive a custom blend of food, complete with black oil sunflower seeds and crushed oyster shells which make the eggs hard, mixed with organic starter food.  Although the chickens do produce a lot of eggs each day, the Tavern goes through more than 720 eggs a week, and the chickens cannot supply all of the eggs needed. Diners, however, can ask for an organic egg upgrade for their meal. Maloof swears that the rooftop eggs have more of a flavor to them than regular eggs, and when scrambled, they are perfectly golden, unlike the standard ones which are more white.

There is only one chicken that has a name: Susan. She is the only Speckled Sussex that has a block white head instead of one with white freckles. Susan is named after a woman who has been working at Manuel’s Tavern for 40 years and has stark white hair. Susan the chicken is a very proud girl who will not let Maloof or anyone else hold or pet her, no matter how much they chase her around the coop. And according to Maloof, just like the chicken, Susan downstairs runs away from all the men chasing her.

The 24 chickens have caused great excitement and pride among the employees at Manuel’s Tavern. Many of them boast about their eggs and chickens to other restaurants. The chickens also have been making the customers smile more widely.

“You can bring someone in who’s in the foulest mood and put a chicken in their lap, and every single time they smile,” Maloof said.