Here Comes Gus's Fried Chicken
North Texas city makes short list for coveted spicy fried chicken
Famed spicy-chicken specialist Gus's Fried Chicken is swooping in on Dallas-Fort Worth. The Memphis chain will open its first location in Fort Worth's Near Southside neighborhood, at 1067 W. Magnolia Ave. Opening date is set for early spring 2016.
The 3,720-square-foot space, previously a campaign headquarters for Fort Worth representative Lon Burnam, will seat about 100 people and feature a casual, family-friendly atmosphere with some of Gus's trademarks, including its signature yellow-and-white exterior awnings.
This location will be the second in Texas; Gus's opened in Austin in early 2014.
"We chose to open in Fort Worth on Magnolia because the area has grown a lot in recent years but isn't overdeveloped," says franchisee Daniel Bryant in a release. "It's a great fit for Gus's because we like to think of ourselves as the 'un-chain.'"
In addition to chicken known for its crunchy bronze crust, the menu also features sides such as potato salad and coleslaw, and house-made pies. It'll stay open later on weekend evenings, as befits the neighborhood's nightlife.
Gus's Fried Chicken was founded in 1953 by the Bonner family in Mason, Tennessee, and they still run that original location. A new owner came aboard in February with plans to open eight branches across the country, including Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Knoxville, Kansas City, Kansas, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The franchisees were selected with care, from a pool of more than 500 applicants.
Another new fried chicken concept called Chicago's Chicken Coop was previously announced to open in North Dallas; a company representative says they're aiming for the beginning of November.
