Dirty Bird, Wimpy & Fritz open doors in new locations | News, sports, jobs

The kitchen crew at the new Dirty Bird Fried Chxx location in Ogden is preparing food at the opening of the restaurant on Friday, September 10, 2021. (Tim Vandenack, Special to the Daily Herald)

The kitchen crew at the new Dirty Bird Fried Chxx location in Ogden is preparing food at the opening of the restaurant on Friday, September 10, 2021. (Tim Vandenack, Special to the Daily Herald)

Two new restaurants are up and running in Ogden’s Riverbend neighborhood, offering fried chicken sandwiches and tacos between them.

Dirty Bird Fried Chxx officially opened its doors to a line of customers late Friday morning, and the creative force behind the eatery, Salt Lake City-based restaurateur Michael McHenry, has additional branches across Utah and throughout the Southwest. Dirty Bird started in Provo and the Ogden Outlet is the second.

The new majority owners, McHenry said, “plan to take Dirty Bird to the moon, and that’s exactly what I envisioned.” Wags Capital acquired a controlling interest in Dirty Bird and the company plans to open 30 new locations in the next 12 to 14 months, starting in Farmington, Riverton, Orem and the Sandy / Draper area, according to McHenry.

He immediately praised Ogden as a great addition to the “Nashville-inspired” fried chicken sandwiches, which are Dirty Bird’s staple food. A long line of customers gathered in Ogden for the opening on Friday and McHenry handed them out swag.

“What we love most about Ogden is the passion Ogden has for Ogden. Ogden loves Ogden and we love Ogden, ”McHenry told the crowd.

Wimpy & Fritz, the popular Ogden Taqueria operated by a truck and the Yes Hell bar, was due to open on Friday right next to Dirty Bird on the 300 block of Park Boulevard. The two restaurants share a building south of Ogden River Brewing, within a complex of townhouses that take shape to the west and eventually the north. The city calls the zone the Riverbend area and covers about 60 acres west of Washington Boulevard, north and south of Park Boulevard.

“Today is the day watch !!!!!!!” said a post on Friday on the Wimpy & Fritz Facebook page. “Lots of love !! Come to us tonight, it will be WHEEL !!!!” The standard examiner on Friday could not immediately reach a representative from the restaurant.

Dirty Bird launched its first locale in Provo just 22 months ago and the deal with Wags Capital is a huge leap forward for the company. Wags plans to invest $ 20 million to expand the restaurant, essentially turning it into a chain. Seven new prospective locations are “leased to several others in early negotiations, paving the way for further growth for the country’s next breakout brand,” according to a Dirty Bird press release released on Wednesday.

McHenry pointed out the fairly simple food menu at Dirty Bird – three versions of his chicken sandwich and four side dishes. “Simplicity is the key to our success,” he said.

The McHenry Group, McHenry’s company, owns a number of “boutique” restaurants in Utah “and they’re all growing,” said McHenry. His strategy in restaurant launch is to build brand awareness and pave the way for potential growth and expansion.

Dirty Bird in Ogden, McHenry said, will create 30 to 40 jobs.

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