A San Francisco-based fried chicken chain is putting down roots in the western suburbs, with its first Illinois restaurant set to open at 845 S. Randall Road in St. Charles. Starbird's own location page lists the address as coming soon, though the site currently shows no job openings there. The opening is part of a larger push that could bring the chain to five locations across the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
Starbird signed a franchise development agreement last year to expand into the Chicago suburbs, according to bizjournals.com. The deal was one of two announced in March 2025 that together called for 10 new Starbird restaurants split between Salt Lake City and the Chicago area, according to a PR Newswire release announcing the agreements. Five of those locations are earmarked specifically for the greater Chicago metro area, the release states, with Starbird's franchise program requiring area-development commitments of at least five restaurants in markets like Illinois.
The St. Charles opening follows years of Starbird eyeing Illinois as a growth target. QSR Magazine reported that company leadership had flagged Illinois, alongside Texas and Florida, as a major market it wanted to enter once it found the right partner. That same report noted Starbird had posted more than 25% same-store sales growth for three consecutive years and was aiming to double its unit count within 18 months.
A Chain on a National Growth Tear
Starbird was founded in 2016 by restaurant innovators at The Culinary Edge, per the PR Newswire release, and has since built an average unit volume of $4.1 million. The chain closed out 2025 with $59.4 million in sales, a 28.2% year-over-year jump, according to PennLive. The outlet reported that there were 20 Starbird locations open as of September, while the Chicago-area opening was reported by The Business Journals, which put the national count at 21 locations. The two figures don't line up, and the dossier does not resolve the discrepancy.
Illinois is just one piece of a much bigger map. Starbird is moving forward on a deal with Mehta Investment Group to develop 17 locations across Washington state, with roughly 15 planned for the Seattle area and two more in Spokane, the same PennLive report notes. A separate franchise agreement with Whiplash Holdings is set to bring seven Starbird restaurants to the Denver area.
Texas Deal Marks Chain's Biggest Bet Yet
In Texas, Starbird inked a 36-unit expansion target with Mac Haik Restaurant Group, with locations planned for Houston, Austin and San Antonio starting in 2027, per the same PennLive account. Starbird's own franchise news page describes the Texas agreement as the largest franchise deal in company history. The chain has also said it has multiple franchise markets available in what it calls phase 1, with more markets expected to open up in phase 2, according to its franchise site.
For St. Charles, the Randall Road location represents the first tangible sign that Starbird's long-stated interest in Illinois is translating into brick-and-mortar plans. The chain has not detailed addresses or timelines for the other four Chicago-area locations tied to its franchise agreement.
