Urban Bird Hot Chicken: Building a Brand Designed to Last

Urban Bird Hot Chicken was recently featured in a “Franchise Magazine USA” article highlighting how founders Brandon Gawthorp and Chantel Fiaschetti are leveraging more than two decades of restaurant franchising experience to build a scalable, people-first business.

After selling their 32 Wingstop restaurants in 2023, the pair turned their full attention to Urban Bird, growing the brand to 24 Texas locations while developing the infrastructure needed for national franchise expansion.

Building the foundation

Drawing on lessons from both successful and unsuccessful franchise investments, Gawthorp and Fiaschetti have spent years refining everything from site selection and menu innovation to training and profitability.

“We’ve taken years to figure out the delivery system and rework everything to maintain profitability,” Gawthorp said. He also emphasized the importance of protecting the brand as it expands: “A good system provides support — and also guardrails — so that the proven model can be replicated each time without the need for reinvention.”

For Fiaschetti, finding franchise partners who share Urban Bird’s values is just as important as building effective systems. “We want to provide economic growth for people. We do not want franchisees to fail. That’s why the fit is everything for us,” she said.

People‑first culture

The brand is prioritizing experienced restaurant operators who are passionate about developing teams, maintaining quality and delivering exceptional customer experiences. “Our focus is on building a people-first culture, and the way that you do that is you work with your team, you’re in your stores,” Fiaschetti said.

Growth strategy

Looking ahead, the founders are focused on sustainable expansion rather than pursuing aggressive sales.

“We’re not desperate to sell franchises,” Fiaschetti said. “We’re not in a hurry.”