A Modern Hot Chicken Brand Built For Global Expansion

Urban Bird Hot Chicken, the fast-casual franchise founded in Houston by seasoned multi-unit restaurant operators Brandon Gawthorp and Chantel Fiaschetti, was created to do one thing exceptionally well: serve made-to-order hot chicken without shortcuts. Urban Bird came together in 2020 through a mix of necessity, trial and a lot of hands-on learning. It didn’t begin as a franchising play. Brandon and Chantel spent the next several years running the business themselves, opening and refining company-owned locations before bringing in outside operators. Today, Urban Bird has grown to more than 20 corporate restaurants, many in second-generation spaces, giving the brand practical, hard-earned perspective on everything from real estate and staffing to food costs, delivery flow and how to scale without breaking the model. Inside the kitchen, the approach is the same across every location. Chicken is brined for 24 to 48 hours. The breading stays light and lower in sodium. Eggs are real, sauces are made in-house, waffles are cooked fresh and sides like the maple-based kale slaw are treated as more than an afterthought. Even the fries are engineered to travel well, protecting quality in a delivery-first world. It all adds up to an experience that keeps people coming back.