Respected Rotisserie Chain Ranked Among Top 75 Brands and 25 Executives Leading the Fast Casual Restaurant Industry
Cowboy Chicken, the fast-growing restaurant chain known for its wood-fired rotisserie chicken, has been recognized by Fast Casual magazine as one of the Top 100 Movers & Shakers for the 10th consecutive year. This annual listing honors 75 brands and 25 executives leading the fast casual restaurant industry. Cowboy Chicken’s collaboration with Cooking Channel star Eddie Russell to create healthier menu items including Bolero Bowls, technology investments and implementation of Pronto Pick-Up are among the innovations that earned the restaurant the 44th spot on this year’s list.
“We are honored to be among the Top 100 Movers & Shakers for the 10th year in a row,” says Sean Kennedy, president and CEO of Cowboy Chicken. “While we continue to enhance our food offerings and invest in technology to improve service for our guests and employees, it’s rewarding to be recognized among such an impressive group of restaurants in the fast casual segment.”
Cowboy Chicken began in 1981 as a single restaurant in Dallas and has grown into 23 company-owned and franchised restaurants located throughout Texas as well as Louisiana, Georgia, Oklahoma and California. Over the years, the brand has been acknowledged for its continuous growth and innovative advancements, placing it on the Top 100 Movers & Shakers list since 2011.
For nearly 40 years, Cowboy Chicken has been serving all-natural, hormone-free rotisserie chickens that are hand-seasoned in store, marinated for 24 hours and then slowly roasted for two hours over a real wood-burning fire. Last year, the chain collaborated with Atlanta-based consulting chef and Cooking Channel star Eddie Russell to create Bolero Bowls, a healthier menu item with fresh vegetables and slow-roasted chicken. The chain also launched crispy drumsticks, handcrafted lemonades and revamped side options.
Fast Casual also recognized Cowboy Chicken for technology investments that included the launch of a new website with improved online ordering for catering and delivery, finalizing the onboarding of a new back-office accounting platform and installation of advanced Wi-Fi in all stores. The restaurant chain also implemented Pronto Pick-up, allowing diners to order and pay online and pick-up orders from a shelf inside the restaurant. Additionally, Cowboy Chicken is finalizing the design of Cowboy Chicken 4.0, a new store prototype.
Founded in Dallas in 1981, Cowboy Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in real wood-fired rotisserie chicken. The brand has been included in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list every year since 2011 and in 2017 won the Emerging Chain of the Year award from Restaurant Business and was named one of the Top 25 Most Loved Brands by Foodable. Forbes magazine also chose Cowboy Chicken as one “Hot Restaurant Chain to Buy into Now,” and in 2020, QSR ranked Cowboy Chicken #14 in its 40 Under 40 list of the 40 most exciting fast casual concepts with fewer than 40 units. Cowboy Chicken is currently seeking qualified franchises to help build the brand in select markets across the U.S. For more information, visit www.cowboychicken.com or email franchise@cowboychicken.com.
