There’s a new chicken tender joint in town and its name is Huey Magoo’s in Pearl.
It’s the second Huey Magoo’s in Mississippi. If franchisees Buddy Powell, Stacy Powell, their daughter Kristi Orr and Director of Operations Aaron Jenkins have their way, there will be 18 more of the restaurants spread throughout Mississippi.
Orr says they are in the process of opening five more in the Jackson Metro area. The franchisees are scouting all cities and markets to find the other locations.
More:Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders bringing 20 restaurants to Mississippi, including Jackson
The only other Huey Magoo’s open in Mississippi right now is in McComb.
“We chose Pearl as our second location because it has such a small-town feel like my hometown of McComb,” said Orr, who will be heading up the growth of the franchises in Mississippi. “People can come to Pearl with all of its offerings and we will have Huey Magoo’s there.”
There are already 23 Huey Magoo’s that have opened in four states with a plan for more than 200 over a nine-state footprint.
Huey Magoo’s already has multiple locations in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. Along with Alabama, the company said expansion plans include Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio and Las Vegas.
A Huey Magoo’s grand opening was held in Montgomery, Alabama, just two weeks ago.
The central Florida-based franchise was co-founded in 2004 by Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens. The two met while playing golf at Ole Miss.
“Ole Miss is where the Huey Magoo’s story began, and we couldn’t be any happier to see the company expand into the region and all over the Southeast,” Armstrong and Hudgens said in a news release.
Armstrong and Hudgens sold the company in November 2021 but will retain a small piece of ownership in the new parent company and will continue to operate two of the brand’s locations.
Andy Howard, Wingstop’s former executive vice president, is now the CEO of Huey Magoo’s.
The 3,400 square foot Pearl restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating and a drive-thru.
Powell and his family bring 35 years of experience as Golden Corral franchisees to Huey Magoo’s. Huey Magoo’s Pearl will offer dine-in, take-out, curbside pickup and delivery through third-party delivery service DoorDash.
With a slogan of the “Filet Mignon of Chicken™,” the Pearl location is near Bass Pro Shops, Sam’s, The Outlets of Mississippi and Trustmark Park.
“Buddy and his family are truly terrific franchisees. We are so happy for them to open their next location and take this tremendous brand to great lengths in the whole state of Mississippi,” Howard said.
Huey Magoo’s offers grilled, hand-breaded or “sauced” chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches and wraps.
“The food is really what sold us as a family when we were doing our homework as franchisees,” Orr said. “The product is amazing and would have never put our family’s name on it if that wasn’t the case.”
The Pearl Huey Magoo’s is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the drive-thru open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
