Greater Houston is about to get a serious influx of chicken tenders. Huey Magoo’s has inked a 15-store development deal with SMR Capital Group, a move that will roll out new locations across the region over the next three years and push more small-footprint, drive-friendly restaurants into suburban and coastal corridors that feed into the city’s dining scene.
As Restaurant Business reports, the agreement covers 15 units across Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston and Montgomery counties, with SMR Capital Group named as the franchisee. The outlet notes that SMR’s team is led by managing partner Muhammad Ali Akbar and operating partner Jason Gilbert, and adds that Huey Magoo’s is aiming to reach roughly 100 locations nationwide by the end of 2026 as it stretches beyond its Southeastern roots.
Huey Magoo’s director of franchise sales David Boatright sounded bullish on the partnership in an email to What Now Houston, writing, “This 15-store agreement is just the beginning of what we expect to be a long-term relationship, with potential for additional development opportunities.” According to the same outlet, multi-unit franchisees like SMR typically agree to open at least three stores over a three-year period.
Huey Magoo’s Growth And Prototype
Huey Magoo’s launched in 2004 near the University of Central Florida and has picked up speed under its current leadership, increasingly handing out multi-unit development rights instead of one-off deals. In a press release carried by PR Newswire, the company highlighted a condensed prototype of about 1,500 square feet that is designed to cut buildout costs and shorten the path from lease signing to opening day. That leaner footprint helps explain how a 15-store, multi-county strategy can pencil out for both the brand and its franchise partner.
Who SMR Capital Is
On the other side of the deal, SMR Capital Group is described as being led by Muhammad Ali Akbar, with Jason Gilbert serving as operating partner, according to Restaurant Business. The same report notes that the group already runs a T-Mobile franchise and a construction company, a combination that gives it both operating and buildout experience. Huey Magoo’s executives have pointed to that kind of background as the profile they want in multi-unit partners.
What To Expect Locally
From here, the local rollout is likely to follow a familiar script of site selection, permitting and construction. Coverage of a recent North Dallas development suggested a typical timeline of roughly nine to 18 months from site choice to opening, a window that would put Greater Houston’s first Huey Magoo’s locations in play within about one to two years. The brand’s condensed store model is intended to lower buildout costs and speed that process, according to its press announcement on PR Newswire…