Chicken Express is a fast food restaurant in the United States. The restaurant serves fried chicken meals, sides, drinks, and desserts. The store offers high quality meats that the whole family can enjoy at reasonable prices. The chicken is so fresh that you can taste the difference. The store is said to be the home of the legendary Express Tenders® and Chicken E® Sweet Tea. The iced tea is in fact sold by the gallon. The restaurant has expanded tremendously since its establishment, and currently has over 200 locations, primarily in the South.

Chicken Express is one of the most delicious fried chicken restaurants in the country. The chicken is fresh, not frozen. The chicken is marinated well, dipped in delicious batter mix, and perfectly cooked. Customers love the hot and juicy flavor of Chicken Express. Aside from chicken, the store also provides other food options, for example, delicious fish fillets as well as tasty side items. The chain provides fast friendly service with the best quality food. The store also provides catering for any occasion.

History

Chicken Express was started by Richard and Nancy Stuart in March 1988, in Benbrook, Texas, through the Stuart Group, Inc. The restaurant was one of the very first fast food chicken delivery businesses. The establishment is based in Mineral Wells, Texas. The slogan was “Our chicken can’t fly, so we deliver.” Between 1990 and 1994, all new franchises utilized the dine-in, drive-thru, or delivery concept. Today, expanded stores provide dine-in, drive-thru, carhop and catering services. The store has expanded rapidly over the years and continues to do so with its effective franchise system.

There are 215 locations, located mostly in the Southern regions of the United States. Most locations are in Texas. Texas in fact has 190 locations. Oklahoma has 14 locations; Arkansas has 6; Louisiana has 2; and Georgia has 3 locations. The first franchise store was opened in 1990. An important element to the establishment’s franchise system is the owner/operator philosophy. If the operator is also the owner, he/she tends to pay more attention to requirements for serving quality food and providing good customer service at a reasonable price.  The establishment is constantly seeking qualified franchisees to own and operate its restaurant locations.

Before opening the first restaurant in Benbrook through their company Stuart Group, Inc., Texas, co-owners Richard and Nancy Stuart had approximately ten years of experience in the restaurant business through operating another franchise. Chicken Express has successfully expanded over the years and has also received numerous acknowledgements and awards. For example, on September 14, 2014, the Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce presented the Business of the Year Award to restaurant. The restaurant received this award for starting the chain in 1988 and rising to a regional franchise. This was a huge accomplishment.

The company has its headquarters in Burleson, Texas. An interesting fact is that the owners of the company decided to offer those who had initially started out with the company the opportunity to operate their own franchise. The establishment continues to support its communities through sponsoring community events and partnering with supportive organizations. The chain utilizes the services of the consulting firm, Buxton. This consulting firm has utilized site-selection analytics to help and inform the company to make more strategic market planning decisions. As such, Buxton has helped the company to expand across the southern United States.

Review

The menu consists of mostly fried chicken, as well as other options. There are family meals, combos, sides, fried fish fillets, and drinks. The family meals are priced between $12 and $27. The family meals are all served with biscuits or rolls. There is the eight piece mixed chicken that comes with one family side; the twelve piece mixed chicken that comes with two family sides; and the sixteen piece mixed chicken that comes with three family sides. There are also the twenty express tenders that comes with one family side; the twenty-five express tenders that comes with two family sides; and the thirty express tenders that comes with three family sides.

The combo meals are priced between $5 and $8. There is the four express tenders; the seven express tenders; the three piece chicken; the two piece chicken; the six livers or nine gizzard option; and the six piece hot wings. These are all served with one regular side order and a large drink. The side dishes include French fries; fried okra; mashed potatoes; cole slaw; macaroni and cheese; green beans; mini poppers; corn on the cob; cheese sticks; corn nuggets; fried pickle slices; and apple or cherry pie. The sides come in either regular or family size. They are priced between $1 and $4, depending on the size ordered.

The fried fish fillets are priced between $5 and $32, depending on the order. The serving options for the fried fish fillets are combos, dinners, family dinners and fillet fish snacks. The fish dishes are served with cocktail or tartar sauce. There are also jalapenos, biscuits, rolls, and extra gravy. Extra sauces include BBQ, honey, ranch, chipotle ranch, hot sauce, jalapeno ranch, buffalo sauce, or honey mustard. The drinks are priced between $1 and $4. Drinks include smoothies, sodas, and fresh brewed iced tea, more commonly known as Chicken E® Sweet Tea. The smoothie flavors include strawberry, peach, mango, strawberry, and banana.

The hours of operation are around 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., from Sundays right through to Saturdays. The fried chicken and the chicken tenders are definite favorites. The chicken is juicy and crispy but not greasy. The fried pickles and okra are also recommended. The service is fast and friendly. There are hardly any wait times for those placing orders inside. However, there is usually a wait for those placing orders at the drive thru as it tends to be busy. Customers like the fact that the restaurant has a local feel, as opposed to the usual atmosphere of a typical fast food chain restaurant. The prices are very reasonable. This establishment is a great place for families to relax and enjoy great fried chicken.