Oklahoma City’s growing Nashbird hot chicken restaurant eyes expansion inside and outside the state

In recent years, few trends have gripped the nation like Nashville hot chicken. Following in the footsteps of other now-ubiquitous trends like poke, the spicy fried chicken has expanded well beyond its geographic boundaries, now touching every corner of the country. That includes the Oklahoma City metro area, where hot chicken concept Nashbird has four locations and counting.

The restaurant was founded in 2017 by Marc Dunham, whose résumé includes owning a local Mexican restaurant and running a culinary school. He opened the first Nashbird location in Automobile Alley, a popular dining and nightlife district known for its century-old brick buildings and neon signs. Five years later, Nashbird has expanded into the suburbs of Norman, Edmond and Midwest City and also operates a food stand at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, home of the Oklahoma Sooners football team.

“We started with bone-in chicken, and as much as you hear on social media that people love bone-in chicken, that just wasn’t the case,” said Dunham. “Only six out of 100 customers would order bone-in, and most people were buying boneless breasts and tenders.”

The hot chicken stayed, but the concept shifted to chicken tender baskets, sandwiches, wraps and tacos. The menu also includes chicken and waffles, a salad with hot chicken, and sides like French fries, coleslaw and a cucumber-and-onion salad. Chicken is available in four heat levels.

The Hot! Chicken Sandwich ($12) with slaw, pickles and lemon mayonnaise on a brioche bun is a top seller, and the Nashvillain ($12.50) topped with mac & cheese, bacon, onion rings and ranch dressing is also a fan-favorite. Each location has a full bar, including spiked slushies like a dry frosé and an icy Jack and Coke.

Nashbird locations average about 2,500 square feet, with counter seats and dining tables. Guests order at the counter and grab their drinks from the display case before sitting down. The brick-and-mortar setup is effective, but Dunham expects to make some updates for future locations.

“Revenue streams have changed with the pandemic,” said Dunham, “so the next prototype might be even smaller, and we’ll have a pickup window.”

He explains that each location experiences significant third-party delivery and takeout business, accounting for roughly 40% to 45% of business since the onset of the pandemic. The pickup window will streamline operations, he said.

Dunham is planning to open two more locations in the Oklahoma City metro area in the next two years. He’s also looking at expanding into Tulsa and then out of the state.

“Texas is probably the next market for us,” he said. “I grew up there, but also it’s nearby and massive, so there’s a lot of opportunity there.”

He hints at Dallas-Fort Worth, Amarillo or Lubbock as future homes for Nashbird.

“I’d like to go into some underserved markets that aren’t hypercompetitive,” he said. “From a business perspective, our locations do pretty well in underserved communities.”

Currently all Nashbird stores are company owned, but that could change down the road, as Dunham considers a franchising model.

“We’re exploring both options,” he said. “I think after the sixth store, we’ll make that decision.”