Cowboy Chicken, the Dallas-based rotisserie chain known for its wood-fired chicken and handmade side dishes, is opening its first Bakersfield restaurant on Saturday, October 6. To mark the occasion, the restaurant is serving up a Texas-sized helping of hospitality with a weeklong Grand Opening Celebration from Oct. 15-19, featuring five days of specials and the chance to win free chicken for a year.
“We’re incredibly excited to be spreading the legendary wood-fired flavor of Cowboy Chicken across the great state of California,” says owner and operations partner Kevin Roche of TEXACAL Foods, which opened the state’s first Cowboy Chicken location in Rancho Bernardo in June. “This grand opening celebration is our way of introducing our mouthwatering menu and community spirit to the people of Bakersfield.”
The week of grand opening festivities includes the following:
- Monday, Oct. 15 – Win Free Chicken for a Year and Kids Night: The first 100 guests waiting in line when the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. are entered into a drawing, and five lucky winners receive free chicken for a year. Must be 18 or older to win. For official giveaway rules, visit www.cowboychicken.com/sweepstakes-rules/. Cowboy Chicken is giving kiddos perks, too. Kids eat free after 4 p.m. with any adult entrée purchase. Dine-in only.
- Tuesday, Oct. 16 – Dine to Donate: All day long, 25% of all proceeds are donated to The Wounded Heroes Fund, which aids veterans and their families affected by war by providing them with the support they need for a healthy return to civilian life.
- Wednesday, Oct. 17 – Way-Back Wednesday: Cowboy Chicken is taking guests back to 1981 – the year the restaurant first opened – with original menu pricing on select items. Dine-in only.
- Thursday, Oct. 18 – Hometown Heroes Day: All members of law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors, and active and veteran military personnel receive 50% off all dine-in purchases. Must present badge or proof of profession.
- Friday, Oct. 19 – Facebook Friday: Like Cowboy Chicken Bakersfield on Facebook and show the cashier to receive a free cobbler.
TEXACAL Foods owners and operations partners Roche and Phil Fontes joined with Cal Capitol Investment Group’s Daniel and Doug Shaffer to bring the growing Cowboy Chicken brand to the Golden State. Born and raised in Bakersfield, both Fontes and the Shaffers still live in the area and look forward to doing business in their community. Roche, an industry veteran and California native, experienced Cowboy Chicken in Texas while at lunch with a friend and instantly fell in love with the great food and the friendly atmosphere. TEXACAL Foods and Cowboy Chicken have signed the largest franchise agreement to date, with 30 Cowboy Chicken locations planned across California.
Cowboy Chicken Bakersfield is located at 5620 California Avenue. The new 2,500-square foot restaurant centers on a large, wood-burning rotisserie where guests can view the chickens roasting from the rustic-meets-modern dining area. The restaurant seats up to 60 and serves lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m..
Cowboy Chicken serves all-natural, hormone-free rotisserie chickens that are hand-seasoned in store, marinated for 24 hours and then slowly roasted for two hours over a real wood-burning fire. Other dishes include signature sour cream tomatillo chicken enchiladas, abundant scratch-made sides such as Twice Baked Potaters, Baked Mac & Cheese, Ranchero Beans and seasonal cobblers baked in-house daily.
Hearty and healthy dishes are available during lunch and dinner for dine-in, take out, catering and delivery. On-the-go diners can order on the Cowboy Chicken app, available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which allows guests to order ahead, pay with their phone at checkout and earn rewards.
