Vote clears way for Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders in Spartanburg; city council nod up next
Fast-casual franchise Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders has its sights set on Spartanburg’s west side.
Developer HM Upstate, LLC appealed to the city's planning commission on March 21 to have the site rezoned from R-15, single-family residential, to B-1, a neighborhood shopping district. The property they're eyeing in Spartanburg, 1621 John B. White Sr. Blvd., is a little over an acre and has a house on it. The site neighbors a commercial strip that is home to Five Guys and Jersey Mikes and is across the street from Camelot Center, where Starbucks, Popeyes, Cook Out, and McDonald's are located.
There is a house on the other side of the site, and a car wash is under construction next to it.
The commissioners unanimously voted to recommend the rezoning to the city council which will vote on its final approval and offer a public hearing.
What is Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders?
Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders was founded in Orlando in 2004 and has more than 60 locations in eight states, including Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio.
The chicken chain specializes in chicken tenders, serving them grilled, fried, or sauced. The menu also offers tender combo plates, tender sandwiches, wraps, and salads.
"Unlike some of the larger competitors, that use either frozen meat or kind of a split breast tender, these chicken tenders are made with the actual tenderloin from the chicken (with) no antibiotics, no hormones, so, it's a little higher quality than some of the competitors," said John Knapp, president of HM Upstate, LLC.
HM Upstate, LLC opened the first Huey Magoo’s in the Upstate in 2022 on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greenville.
The Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders in Spartanburg is planned to be 2,600 square feet and offer dine-in and drive-through service. The restaurant will seat about 50 people with additional patio seating.
"We've had the Papa Johns in Spartanburg since the mid-90s. We're locally owned and operated company, and we were looking to bring something else," Knapp said "We had some friends who got involved with Huey Magoo's, and we went down and tried it and liked it and decided to sign up and open some of our own."
Knapp said the restaurant could open as soon as early 2025.
Fast casual is fast growing in Spartanburg
In the last year, several new fast food restaurants have entered the Spartanburg market, including Habit Burger, Shipley Do-Nuts, and Crumbl Cookies.
Earlier this month, Whataburger announced they would open two locations in the city and one more in the county before the end of the year.
Spartanburg leaders don't see the influx of new names slowing anytime soon, according to the city's communication manager Christopher George.
"The recent interest we’ve seen from national franchises underscores the strength of our local economy and the growth we’re seeing in Spartanburg," George said. "We’re a part of the conversation for many national brands in a way we haven’t seen in the past, and we expect that trend to continue."
Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders planned for Spartanburg's west side
