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Chicken-Chain Updates: Guthrie’s, Popeyes and Red Chickz

The latest restaurant openings and a new CEO in the sector.

Published

2 months ago

January 21, 2026

VMSD Staff

Chicken-Chain Updates: Guthrie’s, Popeyes and Red Chickz — The Guthrie's chicken-fingers chain has a new CEO. Photo: Courtesy of Guthrie's Franchising Inc.

The Guthrie's chicken-fingers chain has a new CEO. Photo: Courtesy of Guthrie's Franchising Inc.

Here’s the latest from one of the most competitive sectors in the fast-food/quick-service markets:

* Guthrie’s Franchising Inc. (Auburn, Ala.) has hired Tom Carr as CEO. With 25-plus years of leadership and marketing experience, Carr joins the chain of 74 chicken-finger restaurants from Chicken Salad Chick.

* The Red Chickz (Los Angeles) has unveiled plans for its first three restaurants in Maryland; they will be operated by multi-brand franchisee Sam Patel and his sister and business partner, Phalguni Patel. The chain currently has six locales (five in California and one in Texas) and 45 more in its development pipeline, including sites in New Jersey, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

* Grammy award winner Megan Thee Stallion has opened her first-ever Popeyes (New Orleans) in Miami Beach. The restaurant features a custom interior design curated in collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, including a bold mural, playful LED signage and custom stallion tilework. (Images of the store were not available as of this posting.) The store is the culmination of a collaborative partnership the artist entered with the now-3600 unit chain in 2022.

VMSD Staff

Drawing on more than 125 years of history serving the retail design market, VMSD magazine provides retail professionals with the most up-to-date, innovative retail design ideas and industry news through its industry-leading magazine, website, social media channels and bulletins.

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