Popular chicken tender chain to open 20 area restaurants

A fast-growing chicken tender franchise is preparing to make a big debut in Ohio, including several in the Dayton market.

Florida-based, Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders is expanding its locations nationwide, including 20 new restaurants in the Columbus and Dayton area.

Franchisees Ronda and Tim Hobart are currently scouting Dayton and Columbus locations, though the openings will likely not start until sometime in 2022, according to a Huey Magoo’s spokesperson.

Huey Magoo’s expansion is led by the restaurant’s president and CEO, Andy Howard, who is the former executive vice president of Wingstop.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

“Everybody claims they have the best tender on the market, I truly believe that we do,” Howard said on Huey Magoo’s website. “The special hand breading and marinade is done in the store each day. Some of our competitors only have fried, we have fried and grilled. That is the only protein that we do so we are very creative with the tender; you can get it in plain, with dips, in a salad, on a sandwich, in a wrap ... it’s all based around that beautiful tender.”

The fast-casual restaurant specializes in chicken tenders combo meals, but also serves chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, fries and several dipping sauce options.

Huey Magoo’s was founded in Florida in 2004 and has since expanded to include restaurants in Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. However, in 2021, the franchise plans to open restaurants in Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina and more.

Additional locations are also planned to open in Tennessee and Florida, totaling 200 new franchisees, according to the release. Most Huey Magoo locations offer dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, curbside pickup and delivery through third-party delivery services.

Specific Dayton area locations for future Huey Magoo’s restaurants were not immediately available. This story will be updated as soon as more information is available.

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