Beloved Chicken Chain Bringing 10 New Spots to Minnesota
Minnesota’s appetite for chicken is about to get seriously satisfied. A well-loved national chicken chain just announced plans to open multiple new spots across the state!
Minnesota may be the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but could we also be the land of 10,000 restaurants specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches? While Revival, a favorite local restaurant that specialized in fried chicken, suddenly closed its locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and St. Louis Park back in January, there are still a lot of places in Minnesota that will sell you some chicken.
For instance, there is Raising Cane's, which specializes in chicken fingers. It currently has 17 locations across Minnesota and continues to expand. Then, there's Dave's Hot Chicken, which has also announced plans to open up to 18 locations throughout the state, including cities like Rochester and St. Cloud.
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Don't forget about other national chains like KFC, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A that specialize in chicken and also operate multiple outlets across the Bold North. Chick-fil-A alone already has 27 locations in the Gopher State, with plans to add a second location in Rochester later this year or in early 2026.
Plus, back in February, the Chick N Max chain said it was also eyeing Minnesota as part of its development goals 'to add as many as 50 locations to its pipeline across the region in the next two years.'
And now, Minnesota happens to be front and center on the expansion list for the Chicken Salad Chick chain. Their website says they're a chain that was founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008 and currently operates over 300 restaurants in 21 states, focusing specifically on chicken salad:
Chicken Salad Chick stands proudly as the nation’s only fast-casual restaurant concept dedicated exclusively to fresh made chicken salad, offering a variety of flavors, along with sandwiches, fresh sides, gourmet soups, and delectable desserts.
This PR Newswire release says Chicken Salad Chick is looking to add multiple locations in Minnesota, primarily in the Twin Cities metro. These franchises will be owned by the Coffey family of Hopkins, who have deep Minnesota connections, the release noted.
Richard Coffey played for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Timberwolves. His son, Amir, also played for the Golden Gophers and currently plays in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers. And daughter Nia Coffey is currently in her 9th season in the WNBA, playing for the Atlanta Dream.
The release said the plan is to open 10 different Chicken Salad Chick locations here in Minnesota, specifically targeting areas in Hennepin and Ramsey County. It's part of a national expansion goal for the Chicken Salad Chick chain, which is also looking to expand in Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and West Virginia.
No word on when those Minnesota locations are set to open, though the chain did just celebrate the opening of its 300th location in Melbourne, Florida, back in May.
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