--- title: "Chicken Salad Chick to Open First Restaurant in Utah" url: https://burnaze.com/article/e551f7c0-c612-4cb9-8ff3-a8bf4142bb23 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/chicken-salad-chick-to-open-first-restaurant-in-utah/ author: "Ben Coley" category: "Chicken" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Chicken" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2026-05-28T13:57:24.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:18:15.119Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504674900247-0877df9cc836?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Chicken Salad Chick to Open First Restaurant in Utah **TL;DR:** Chicken Salad Chick is opening its first restaurant in Utah, expanding its footprint to 23 states. The new restaurant, located in Valley Grove, is owned and operated by father-son duo Michael and Rylan Mills, who plan to develop six more restaurants in Utah County and seven in Arizona. *By Ben Coley, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-05-28. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/chicken-salad-chick-to-open-first-restaurant-in-utah/).* ## Story Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced the opening of its first restaurant in The Beehive State, which will expand the brand’s footprint to 23 states. The new restaurant is located at 2093 W. Pleasant Grove Blvd in Valley Grove. The local community is invited to celebrate this grand opening on Tuesday, June 9 where the first 100 guests in line will win free chicken salad for a year*. During the grand opening week, guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality Chicken Salad Chick is known for while taking advantage of various specials and giveaways. These include: - **Tuesday, June 9** – **Free Chicken Salad for a Year** **to the First 100 Guests** – The first guest in line at 10am will receive one FREE large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year. The next 99 guests in line will receive one FREE large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year.* - **Wednesday, June 10** – The first 25 guests at 10am or 5pm will receive a FREE 40oz Chick Tumbler with lid & straw!** - **Thursday, June 11** – The first 25 guests at 10am or 5pm will receive a FREE Chick White Canvas Tote Bag!** - **Friday, June 12** – The first 25 guests at 10am or 5pm will receive a FREE Insulated Chick Catering Bag!** - **Saturday, June 13** – The first 25 guests at 10am or 5pm and receive a FREE Chick Drawstring Bag!** Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove marks the first franchise venture for father-son owners and operators, Michael and Rylan Mills. They make up half of their franchise group, MV&R Legacy Partners LLC, alongside their sons-in-law and brothers-in-law, Tommy Richardson and Trent Valentine. The group has agreed to bring The Chick’s Southern‑inspired menu and hospitality westward, with plans to develop six restaurants in Utah County and another seven in Arizona, which Richardson and Valentine will oversee starting next year. Michael and Rylan are proud Brigham Young University graduates, each holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Michael, a CPA turned entrepreneur, owned and operated Stonebridge Manor, a wedding and event venue for 22 years, and Board & Batten, a high-end, chef-driven restaurant for the past eight. Rylan worked as a Senior Auditor at Deloitte for four years and has years of experience across all areas of Michael’s businesses. Additionally, Rylan’s wife, Kiera, manages social media; his sisters, Jacquie and Melanie, support grand opening operations; and Michael’s wife, Becky, oversees catering. Combined, the family’s accounting backgrounds and small‑business management experience will be instrumental as they step into franchise ownership. “My family and I are so excited to bring the first Chicken Salad Chick restaurant to Utah this summer,” said Rylan Mills, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove. “The brand’s culture, core values and mission to ‘Spread Joy, Enrich Lives, and Serve Others’ immediately resonated with us. Having a strong sense of community is important to Utahns, and establishing a place that brings people together, serves scratch‑made food, and offers a welcoming atmosphere will be essential to our success. We can’t wait to meet our Pleasant Grove guests in just a few weeks!” Chicken Salad Chick is known for its dozen-plus variety of made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, fresh sides, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and desserts. The new Pleasant Grove restaurant offers in-restaurant dining, take-out, third-party delivery, and catering options. “Expanding into Utah and achieving operations in 23 states has been a very meaningful milestone for our team,” said Scott Deviney, CEO and president of Chicken Salad Chick. “Partnering with new franchise owners like Michael and Rylan, who embody our core values and have a genuine passion for serving their community, makes this news even more exciting. We’re thrilled to be growing here and confident our dining experience will resonate with guests across the state.” Giving back to the community is an important focus for the Pleasant Grove team and the Chicken Salad Chick brand, which established the CSC Foundation to support CURE Childhood Cancer and local food banks with fundraisers throughout the year. As part of pre-opening Friends & Family events in Pleasant Grove, the restaurant will be raising money for Tabitha’s Way, a network of local food pantries providing temporary food assistance and resources to individuals and families in Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, and Vineyard. Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove will be open Monday – Saturday from 10am – 8pm. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit the Pleasant Grove restaurant’s Facebook. Visit www.chickensaladchick.com, and follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and trends. **Guests should arrive early to secure a place in line. The first 100 guests must remain in line and download the Chicken Salad Chick app. Wi-Fi will not be available on site. Once the restaurant opens, guests will enter a code in the Chicken Salad Chick app to officially secure their spot. If you leave the line for any reason, your spot will be awarded to the next guest in line. Guests will receive their first free large Quick Chick electronically to their app the Monday following Grand Opening Day. Your reward will be valid for redemption for 30 days upon delivery. Guest must be 18 years or older. Not valid with any other offers. ***Guest must be 16 years or older. Limit 1 reward per guest present. Not valid with any other offers. In-restaurant only.* ## Entities - unit expansion (topic) - QSR (sector) - franchise development (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - restaurant opening (topic) - grand opening (topic) - new location (topic) - Ben Coley (person) - Arizona (location) - Chicken Salad Chick (company) - Utah (location) - Scott Deviney (person) --- Originally reported by Ben Coley, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/chicken-salad-chick-to-open-first-restaurant-in-utah/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/e551f7c0-c612-4cb9-8ff3-a8bf4142bb23).