The Local Fry, the Baltimore fast-casual chain known for loaded French fries, is opening two new franchise locations this fall — one in the Villages of Urbana community in Frederick County, and another near Baylor University in Waco, Texas. It is the first time the Hampden-based brand has expanded beyond Maryland's borders.
Husband-and-wife owners Kevin and Liz Irish opened their first shop about a decade ago and have since grown into a small local chain with locations in Hampden's Rotunda shopping center, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Northwood Commons near Morgan State University, according to WBAL News Radio. The two new franchise locations are expected to open within the next few months, the station reports.
The Waco opening is a milestone beyond just The Local Fry's own history — as reported by Inc., it makes The Local Fry the first Baltimore-based fast-casual restaurant chain to expand beyond Maryland state lines. Local fast-casual concepts born in Baltimore have historically stayed regional, according to the outlet, which makes a multi-state franchise footprint a notable departure for the city's food scene.
From a Federal Hill Storefront to a Statewide Brand
The Local Fry's roots go back to 2015, when Kevin and Liz Irish launched the business as a 2,000-square-foot storefront on Cross Street in Federal Hill, per Baltimore Magazine. The couple consolidated operations to The Rotunda shopping center in Hampden in 2018, the magazine notes. Hoodline itself ranked that original Federal Hill spot among the city's top Korean fusion diners back in 2018, and later highlighted the Hampden shop as a go-to for game-day wings.
The menu's fusion identity comes directly from the founders' backgrounds. Kevin Irish, who is Irish-born, brought chip-shop traditions to the concept, while Liz Irish contributed Korean-American recipes — a combination the same magazine says shapes dishes across the menu. That blend has helped the brand stand out on Baltimore's food scene well beyond its original storefront, including a permanent concession stand inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards near Section 27.
Keeping the Crab, Losing It on the Road
The chain's signature dish, known simply as The Local, tops fries with Baltimore staples like crab dip and jumbo lump crabmeat. But as the brand expands into new states, Inc. reports that out-of-state franchisees are being allowed to replace those Maryland-specific toppings with region-specific ingredients of their own choosing. It is a deliberate compromise, the outlet notes, between keeping the brand's identity consistent and letting new markets put their own stamp on the menu.
The franchise push later led to a first franchised location in 2025 at Northwood Commons, a commercial development built adjacent to Morgan State University in North Baltimore, which served as the brand's proving ground before Frederick County and Texas came next.
State Financing Backs the Frederick County Build-Out
Maryland's state government has a direct financial stake in the Frederick County expansion. In April, the Maryland Small Business Development Financing Authority approved $538,000 in financing for Fries First Urbana, LLC — the entity doing business as The Local Fry — to support the new Villages of Urbana location, according to state Maryland Commerce records.
Kevin and Liz Irish say they want to attend every opening, per WBAL, though the station notes the obvious logistical snag: the couple cannot be in Maryland and Texas at the same time when both new locations debut this fall.
A Growing Baltimore Restaurant Portfolio
The Local Fry isn't the Irishes' only venture. The couple opened the Korean-inspired corner bar Bar Alice Anne in Fells Point this past May, a launch Hoodline covered in its piece on the new spot, and they previously operated Toki Tako in Hampden, according to Baltimore Magazine. The pair's profile in Baltimore's dining and sports scene dates back years.
