Urban Bird Hot Chicken Closes Out Q3 With New Restaurant Openings, Multi-Unit Franchise Agreements and Expanded Growth Infrastructure

The Texas hot chicken brand expanded statewide, secured franchise deals in Texas and Kansas, and added operational systems for national growth.

HOUSTON, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Bird Hot Chicken, the fast-growing Texas-based fast casual concept known for its fresh, made-to-order halal hot chicken, closed the third quarter of 2026 with significant momentum across restaurant development, franchise expansion and operational infrastructure.

"The third quarter has been an exciting period of growth and organizational development for Urban Bird," said Stephen O'Connor, CEO of Urban Bird. "We have continued expanding our restaurant presence across Texas while simultaneously investing in the infrastructure necessary to support a much larger organization. What makes this period particularly significant is that we are not simply adding restaurants. We are evolving the business from a successful regional restaurant concept into a scalable, professionally managed franchise platform."

Urban Bird continued building its corporate restaurant footprint throughout the quarter, with notable openings serving the NRG Stadium market in Houston and the Potranco area of San Antonio.

The company also continued strengthening its position across Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio, with additional openings planned for Houston's Montrose neighborhood and The Rim/La Cantera area of San Antonio.

At the same time, Urban Bird made important strides in franchise development. During Q3, the brand secured a three-unit development agreement in Wichita, Kansas, as well as a two-unit franchise development agreement in Greater Houston. The company is also planning a restaurant at Memorial City Mall in Houston.

"The third quarter represented a significant milestone as Urban Bird began converting its franchise development pipeline into formal franchise partnerships," O'Connor said. "These relationships represent an important first step in expanding Urban Bird beyond its corporate restaurant base. Equally encouraging has been the caliber of prospective franchise partners entering our pipeline. We are attracting experienced restaurant operators and business professionals who recognize the potential of the brand and are interested in developing multiple locations. Our philosophy is straightforward: the quality of our franchise partners is more important than the speed at which we sign agreements."

While new restaurants and franchise agreements marked visible milestones throughout the quarter, Urban Bird also made substantial progress behind the scenes, introducing new systems designed to strengthen restaurant performance, leadership development and brand consistency.

Among the most significant initiatives is the development of Urban Bird University (UBU), a structured management and leadership education platform featuring a rolling 12-month curriculum. Urban Bird has also introduced a more comprehensive Brand Standards Review process, establishing stronger restaurant evaluation and audit procedures to reinforce accountability, food quality and guest experience across the system.

To support its growing development pipeline, the company is standardizing its new restaurant opening processes, including planning, staffing, training and certification. This initiative includes the development of a dedicated Elite New Store Opening Training Team, designed to help ensure new restaurants launch with consistent operational standards.

Additional improvements include expanded management development programs, competency-based certifications, plans for annual general manager recertification and enhanced performance management systems. Strengthened financial reporting, restaurant-level budgets and operating scorecards are also providing field leadership with greater visibility into restaurant performance.

"This has actually been one of the most important areas of progress," O'Connor said. "We have undertaken a broad initiative to strengthen the operational and leadership infrastructure of the company. These programs represent a deliberate investment in our people and our operating systems."

For Urban Bird, these investments reflect a broader philosophy that has guided the brand since its founding. Rather than rapidly expanding through franchising before testing its business model, Gawthorp and Fiaschetti invested their own capital to develop nearly 30 company-owned restaurants, allowing the company to refine its operating procedures, real estate strategies and restaurant economics across different markets.

"Our belief is that sustainable restaurant growth depends upon building organizational capability ahead of expansion, rather than attempting to catch up with growth after it occurs," O'Connor said. "There is considerable momentum behind the brand, and we are approaching that momentum with equal measures of enthusiasm and operational discipline."

The brand plans to continue opening company-owned restaurants in select Texas markets while pursuing franchise development opportunities with qualified multi-unit operators. Current areas of interest include Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and additional Texas markets. The company is also beginning to explore international growth opportunities.

"Our longer-term ambition is to build Urban Bird into a nationally recognized restaurant brand with a meaningful international presence," O'Connor said. "That said, we do not view growth simply as a race to open restaurants. Our objective is to build a business that can scale successfully while protecting the quality of the food, the guest experience, the economics of the restaurants and the integrity of the brand. Ultimately, our goal is not simply to become a bigger restaurant company. It is to become a better restaurant company capable of becoming much bigger."

ABOUT URBAN BIRD HOT CHICKEN
Urban Bird Hot Chicken is a Houston-based fast casual restaurant franchise founded by seasoned multi-unit operators Brandon Gawthorp and Chantel Fiaschetti. Known for its made-to-order halal hot chicken, the brand features premium halal chicken brined for 24 to 48 hours, house-made sauces and freshly prepared sides, with a menu intentionally designed for off-premise dining and delivery.

Since launching in 2020, Urban Bird has expanded to more than 28 corporate restaurants and virtual concepts, many operating in second-generation spaces that help optimize real estate efficiencies, streamline labor models and maintain strong cost controls without compromising food quality or consistency.

Backed by a proven operating model, strong unit-level economics and significant white space for growth beyond Texas, Urban Bird is now expanding through franchising with a disciplined, scalable approach focused on sustainable development across both traditional and virtual restaurant formats. For more information, visit urbanbirdfranchise.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Julie Maw
Mainland
209-617-6518
[email protected]

SOURCE Urban Bird Chicken