If you haven't heard, chicken is the new burger, and we have more evidence to prove it so. It's a new restaurant concept from Dallas chef Ryan Carbery called Farmbyrd Rotisserie & Fry, opening in Plano in December.

Farmbyrd will be a fast-casual restaurant serving new rotisserie and fried chicken, done in a New American manner, not Southern, with gourmet sides, salads, and wraps, plus a full bar with craft beer and cocktails.

Carbery, who previously worked with restaurateur Ed Bailey (Bailey's, Patrizio) for four years, is partnered with Tim McLaughlin, pitmaster from Lockhart Barbecue.

"Tim is a mentor and good friend, and we always talked about doing something together," Carbery says.

Carbery previously worked in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, and at fine-dining restaurants such as Charlie Palmer. He's been developing the idea for Farmbyrd for more than three years.

"I have young kids, and we're always trying to figure out a last-minute dinner," he says. "You can't eat pizza four nights a week. We get rotisserie chicken all the time. That's a big part of it.

"And then chicken is a big trend right now," he says. "It's a big comfort food, it's multicultural, and everybody eats it."

They'll do whole, half, and quarter birds, with accompanying sides, in single servings or big enough for a family to share. "But we're not focusing on wings," he says.

The chicken will be submerged in a buttermilk brine and will have a prominent crunchy crust. It'll come with house-made sauces such as sweet molasses, jerk, and a rendition of green goddess. A condiments bar will include pickles and other add-ons.

This being chef fare, the chicken is coming from a supplier in Colorado and has no antibiotics or hormones. Sides and salads will be upscale, like fried artichokes with goat cheese or Carbery's own take on elotes, the trendy roasted-corn dish.

"We'll always have a baby Romaine salad, a baby kale salad, and some kind of slaw, but that will change seasonally," Carbery says. The winter version of his kale salad might have carrots and parsnips, with dried fruit and a walnut vinaigrette.

And then any salad can be transformed into a wrap, with the option of adding rotisserie chicken.

It's taking over a spot in the Parker Preston Crossing Shopping Center that was once home to a Burger House and, before that, Chuck's Burgers. The decor incorporates recycled materials, including some century-old wood reclaimed from a business in old downtown Plano.

"The neighborhood is perfect for what we're doing," Carbery says. "There are people there who are driving down to Bolsa and other restaurants that we feel like we can serve."