Midwestern diners seeking the authentic flavor of wood-fired rotisserie chicken and homemade sides, look no further. Cowboy Chicken and Franchise Restaurant Concepts Group (FRC Group) signed three new lease agreements to open restaurants in Ankeny, Iowa, Manhattan, Kansas, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These three restaurants are part of a franchise agreement signed earlier this year with FRC Group to open 14 Cowboy Chicken locations across Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota. There are currently 21 units of the fast casual chain in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Alabama.
“We are thrilled that FRC Group is bringing Cowboy Chicken’s fresh, home-cooked food to the people of Ankeny, Manhattan, and Sioux Falls,” says Sean Kennedy, Cowboy Chicken’s president and CEO. “These are all growing markets with strong residential and business communities. We’re offering a quick yet upscale option for those on the go.”
FRC Group, an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, is operated by co-presidents Brendan Crowley and Luke Wilson, who have 30 years of experience as multiunit franchise operators in both casual and fast-casual concepts. Crowley and Wilson discovered Cowboy Chicken while looking for a unique product with a clear vision they could stand behind.
“Cowboy Chicken is a brand we are passionate about developing across the Midwest,” Crowley says. “The home-style, wholesome food and focus on hospitality really caught our attention when we were researching concepts to expand our restaurant portfolio.”
The new Ankeny and Manhattan restaurants are scheduled to open this fall, while the Sioux Falls location is slated for a January 2018 opening. Each new restaurant will be between 2,500–3,000 square feet in size, seat 70–100 guests and employ around 30 people from each community.
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. Cowboy Chicken’s hearty and healthy dishes are available during lunch and dinner for dine-in, takeout, catering, and delivery.
