Chicken franchise Birdcall is skipping costly coastal markets for midwestern cities that person little barriers to entry.
By Jonathan Small | edited by Dan Bova | Jul 24, 2026
Most edifice chains conflict for existent property successful New York and California, betting that the crowds are worthy the cost. Birdcall, a 17-unit fast-casual chickenhearted franchise retired of Colorado, conscionable announced plans to expand to astir 100 caller locations, but it’s steering clear of the country’s pricey coastal markets. Instead, the concatenation is targeting six Midwestern states complete the adjacent 5 years, led by Ohio (up to 30 locations), Missouri (up to 18) and Wisconsin (10 to 14), QSR reports.
The reason? “You’ve sewage the density, you’ve sewage the commuters, you’ve sewage the community… but you tin do it for less,” said VP of franchise improvement Justin Livingston, contrasting the region pinch pricier markets for illustration New York, California and moreover Birdcall’s location authorities of Colorado.
The concatenation competes successful what Livingston calls the “elevated accelerated casual” chickenhearted space, known for rotating paper items for illustration its Korean BBQ-glazed K-Pop sandwich and a build for 125 to 150 seats, larger than galore competitors that person downsized. Birdcall’s franchisee pipeline skews toward knowledgeable multi-unit operators. About a period aft announcing its Midwest push, the concatenation confirmed its first Indianapolis deal: a five-unit statement pinch franchisee Nikunj Patel.
Most edifice chains conflict for existent property successful New York and California, betting that the crowds are worthy the cost. Birdcall, a 17-unit fast-casual chickenhearted franchise retired of Colorado, conscionable announced plans to expand to astir 100 caller locations, but it’s steering clear of the country’s pricey coastal markets. Instead, the concatenation is targeting six Midwestern states complete the adjacent 5 years, led by Ohio (up to 30 locations), Missouri (up to 18) and Wisconsin (10 to 14), QSR reports.
The reason? “You’ve sewage the density, you’ve sewage the commuters, you’ve sewage the community… but you tin do it for less,” said VP of franchise improvement Justin Livingston, contrasting the region pinch pricier markets for illustration New York, California and moreover Birdcall’s location authorities of Colorado.
The concatenation competes successful what Livingston calls the “elevated accelerated casual” chickenhearted space, known for rotating paper items for illustration its Korean BBQ-glazed K-Pop sandwich and a build for 125 to 150 seats, larger than galore competitors that person downsized. Birdcall’s franchisee pipeline skews toward knowledgeable multi-unit operators. About a period aft announcing its Midwest push, the concatenation confirmed its first Indianapolis deal: a five-unit statement pinch franchisee Nikunj Patel.
Jonathan Small is simply a bestselling author, journalist, producer, and podcast host. For 25 years, he... Read more
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