Golden Chick, the popular Texas-based chicken brand known for its crispy Golden Tenders and hand-rubbed Golden Roast chicken, teamed up with Heff’s Burgers to offer guests a new joint dining experience at select locations, while aiding the expansion of the emerging Heff’s brand.

Heff’s Burgers was founded by The Heffernan family in 2009 and is a local favorite in Abilene, Texas, where the brand began. Heff’s was named “Best Burger in Abilene” by Abilene Reporter-News five consecutive years in a row, and best burger in San Angelo in 2015.

“We are thrilled to partner with Heff’s and offer this new joint concept to Golden Chick customers in Garland,” says Golden Chick CEO Mark Parmerlee. “After reaching out and connecting with The Heffernans in 2013 and hearing their story, I realized they aligned very well with our brand and would be a great fit to partner with. We believe in the Heff’s brand and we look forward to growing together.”

The first Golden Chick and Heff’s joint location opened in early January in Garland, Texas. Both brands operate separately, but share the same real estate. The opening was originally slated for December 30, however due to the tragedy and destruction caused by the December 26 tornadoes, both brands decided to delay the opening for a week. This allowed the restaurants to concentrate efforts, staff, and resources on helping local tornado victims and relief workers. The tornado touched down just blocks away from the new location, and many employees and customers were impacted.

“We received our certificate of occupancy the day before the tornado hit, and we were excited and ready to open,” says Wyatt Hurt, president of Heff’s Burgers. “After we saw the tornado damage, we knew that it was important for us to help serve the community as it began to rebuild. Since we had our certification, were able to do just that. We are grateful for the experience and opportunity of helping our neighbors during such a tough time.”

There are several Golden Chick and Heff’s joint locations in the pipeline for 2016. The next openings are scheduled for early March in Mesquite on East Davis. In this instance, the Heff’s and Golden Chick will not be adjoined but sit next to each other and share a parking lot. “We feel that the two brands go well together. Both have loyal fans and both deliver a true Texas taste,” Parmerlee adds.