Operations

Minnie Bird opens 3rd location

Sean Thomas, the grandson of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, poses with Dave. Sean has founded Minnie Bird, a fast-casual chicken concept in Chicago.

May 1, 2026

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Minnie Bird, a fast-casual chicken concept co-founded by Sean Thomas, the grandson of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, has tripled its Chicago-area footprint over the last six months with openings in Oak Brook and Naperville.

The expansion brings the brand's total to three operating restaurants. Following the launch of its flagship Schaumburg location in October 2024, the brand opened in Oak Brook in October 2025 and Naperville in February 2026.

Minnie Bird is a partnership between Thomas and Venture Kitchen, a Chicago-based restaurant group behind Blackwood BBQ and Taqueria Invicto. The brand's name pays homage to Minnie Sinclair, Thomas' great-great-grandmother, who helped raise Dave Thomas and influenced his culinary philosophy.

"I grew up around restaurants," Thomas said in a company release. "The thing my grandfather got right at Wendy's was that he never stopped paying attention to what customers actually wanted. At Minnie Bird, we're serving the kind of meal that puts a smile on people's faces — and that response is what told us it was time to bring the brand to more communities."

The menu focuses on a three-pillar strategy: premium fried chicken, dirty sodas and a complimentary soft-serve cone included with every meal.

The brand enters a highly competitive poultry market, but leadership believes its specific hospitality model provides a point of differentiation.

"There's a lot happening in fast-casual chicken right now, and it's a great category to be building in," David Sloan, managing partner of Venture Kitchen, said in the release. "The brands that break through are the ones that feel different the moment you walk in. Minnie Bird has that quality, and the results across all three locations reflect it."

The locations are at 1715 W. 22nd St. in Oak Brook and 1211 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville.

Operations