Southern Chain Chicken Salad Chick Makes Its Denver Area Debut

The Southern-born chain debuted in Colorado last year with an outpost in Greeley.

September 13, 2024

Chicken Salad Chick's newest Colorado location is in Littleton. Chicken Salad Chick/Instagram

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As we wait for an update on Portillo's coming to Colorado and long for the sub sandwiches from Southern grocery chain Publix, another out-of-state chain with a lot of fans has made its debut in the Denver area.

In 2022, Greeley residents David and Jessica Zumbrun signed an agreement for five Colorado outposts of Chicken Salad Chick, an Alabama-born chain. Founded in 2008 by Stacy Brown, who began by selling chicken salad door-to-door, it's now a popular chain in the Southeast, with over 260 locations.

The Zumbruns opened the first Colorado outpost in Greeley last year and also own one in Windsor and their newest, which debuted in Johnstown this week.

There is also a location in Colorado Springs owned by Kirsten and David Garrett, along with Kirsten's mother, Judy DeVincentis.

But it's a different franchise owner — Maureen McFerson and her husband, Luke — who debuted the closest location to Denver yet. On September 10, Chicken Salad Chick opened at 7301 South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.

McFerson, who has experience as an R&D and Quality scientist with global pizza chains, became a fan of the brand known for serving over a dozen varieties of chicken salad while attending the University of Georgia.

"From the moment I first tried Chicken Salad Chick, I knew I had found a restaurant that offered more than just delicious, made-from-scratch food," McFerson says in a press release announcing the news. "It brought a sense of comfort and home, and that's the experience we want to create for our customers. My goal is to provide a space where the community can come together and leave feeling better than when they came."

"We're excited to continue expanding Chicken Salad Chick in Colorado," adds Scott Deviney, president and CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "Cities like Littleton and Denver, with their vibrant and growing food scenes, are perfect locations for our restaurants. That's why we're eager to introduce Chicken Salad Chick to these communities. Maureen and Luke have already demonstrated their excellence as franchise owners, and we're confident they'll uphold our mission to spread joy, enrich lives and serve others in the community. We look forward to having them bring the Chicken Salad Chick experience to both new and returning guests statewide."

Chicken Salad Chick of Littleton is located at 7301 South Santa Fe Drive and is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit chickensaladchick.com.

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Molly Martin has been the Food & Drink editor at Westword since 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Molly reported on the Denver dining scene for more than a decade and contributed to Thrillist. At Westword, Molly monitors restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on Denver-area food news and trends. She also publishes such annual lists as Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the yearly Best of Denver edition. In 2023, she was recognized with the Colorado Restaurant Association's Outstanding Media Professional award.

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