Restaurant industry veteran Max Sheets is at the helm of new quick-service concept Chick N Max. The first location hatched last week.

Additional Chick N Max locations are well underway in the Wichita, Kansas, metro. The second site is under construction near 21st & Greenwich, the third will start construction this spring on the Innovation Campus at Wichita State University.

Sheets previously developed restaurants from coast-to-coast with a wide variety of brands; Pizza Hut, Lone Star, Fox & Hound, Ted’s Montana Grill, Smashburger, and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.

“I’ve had the time of my life pulling together the team that brought Chick N Max to life. We developed a proprietary blend of batter, flour and spices that really set us apart. The chicken is exceptional,” says Sheets. “Inside, the space is really inviting and very functional. We built a clean, crisp and comfortable place that I hope is enjoyable.  Serving fried and smoked chicken, in combination with our unique offering of sides, makes us appealing to moms, dads, kids, grandparents and everyone in-between.”

With a career in restaurant development that spans more than three decades, Sheets conceptualized the brand with GHA Design Lab and assembled a team of flavor professionals to perfect the menu of hand-breaded chicken tenders, wings and slow-smoked chicken. The country’s first Chick N Max landed in the heart of Wichita, KS—a metro area long known for ties to successful restaurant start-ups and entrepreneurial genius.

“We know there is a lot of competition among chicken restaurants, so we really tried to perfect this menu that sets us apart. The Max Tenders are the biggest tender on the market; we serve full wings instead of winglets,” says Sheets. “The sides are made in-house each day and you can choose from white beans or greens in addition to the more traditional offerings; fries, max & cheese, and coleslaw. The gravy is great for dipping chicken and fries. The ranch sauce is also made in the restaurant each morning and we get a lot of great feedback on it as well. We are bringing in almond wood from the central valley of California for the smoked chicken. We’ve really worked hard at the fine details, hopefully we got a lot of them right.”