Huey Magoo’s, the fast-casual chicken tender chain, is expanding its Texas footprint with a five-unit development agreement covering Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Mansfield, according to a press release issued by the brand. Franchisee Bobby Asad, a seasoned restaurant operator and commercial real estate developer with deep roots in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is leading the expansion.
Through Apex Hospitality Group, Asad plans to develop five new locations while also generating local jobs, supporting community organizations, and building a long-term presence in the region. His combined experience in commercial real estate and multi-unit restaurant operations informs a strategic approach to site selection, development, and sustainable growth across the market.
In an early-stage conversation with What Now Dallas, Asad said that he evaluated countless concepts before signing with Huey Magoo’s, ultimately being drawn to its streamlined, scalable menu centered on a single premium offering: chicken tenders made exclusively from the tenderloin, which the brand calls “The Filet Mignon of Chicken.” He is currently targeting a 2027 opening, pending permits and final approvals.
“The restaurant business is a disease — when you’re in it, you don’t get out,” Asad said. “It’s a good disease. It just gets in your blood. Once you’ve experienced building teams, serving guests, and growing communities, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else.”
Site selection is currently underway across approximately eight candidate sites in the three markets. Asad is prioritizing corridors he knows intimately: Mansfield’s Broad Street area, Arlington’s Cooper Street near AT&T Stadium, and the Highway 161 development zone in Grand Prairie.
All three, he said, share the fundamentals he looks for as a developer: residential and commercial growth, strong household incomes, major transportation access, and the rooftop density needed to make a restaurant viable long-term.
Asad said he prefers building from the ground up over retrofitting existing spaces, and that each location is expected to employ between 60 and 80 people. Retention, he emphasized, matters more than headcount. “We don’t really hire employees — we take on families,” he told What Now Dallas, noting that some team members have stayed with him for more than a decade.
The five-unit deal, he added, is a starting point. As locations prove themselves in traffic and growth, he plans to expand beyond the initial agreement. “The sky is the limit,” he said.
Founded in 2004, Huey Magoo’s operates across 12 states and is approaching its 100th location nationwide.
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