Starbird, a California-born fast-casual fried-chicken chain, has officially chosen a spot for its Seattle debut, according to local reporting. The move is the clearest sign yet that the brand and its local franchise partner are starting to nail down storefronts for a planned multineighborhood rollout across Washington.
As first reported by The Business Journals, Starbird has selected a site for its first Seattle-area restaurant, which that outlet says is expected to open by the end of the year. The report describes the new shop as the first of what it counts as 18 planned locations across Washington.
Franchise Deal Behind The Push
The expansion traces back to a late-2024 franchise development agreement with Mehta Investment Group, which committed to rolling out the concept across the state. In a company release, PR Newswire noted that the original plan called for 17 locations, with 15 in the Seattle area and two in Spokane, and the first openings were initially targeted for 2025.
What Starbird Will Serve
Starbird describes itself as a chef-driven, tech-forward fast-casual brand: no-antibiotics-ever, fresh-never-frozen chicken, hand-breaded in a proprietary blend, backed up by multiple house sauces and digital ordering options. Those menu details and the company’s development timeline appear on Starbird.
How It Fits Seattle’s Chicken Boom
The chain is arriving in the middle of a crowded wave of chicken concepts moving into the region as national brands and franchisors chase Seattle’s restaurant market. Local outlets have tracked that steady drumbeat of deals and openings, and FOX 13 Seattle has reported on Starbird’s promised Washington footprint and its pitch to local diners…