09/29/2026
NASHBIRD HOT DANG! CHICKEN: BRING THE HEAT TO YOUR MARKET
What if your next restaurant came with a founder who has spent his life in kitchens, a menu guests remember, and a brand with the energy to turn a meal into an experience? Welcome to NASHBIRD.
Founded in Oklahoma City in 2017 by Chef Marc Dunham, NASHBIRD turns Nashville-style hot chicken into a bold, memorable experience. We buttermilk-brine and hand-bread our chicken, build flavor with proprietary spice blends, and make our signature sauces in-house. The result is food with personality: Jumbo Tenders, boneless wings, nuggets, the NashChick, Side Chicks sliders, mac and cheese bowls, and the unapologetic NashVillain—hot chicken stacked with mac and cheese, bacon, a beer-battered onion ring, and ranch. Guests can choose their heat, bring the family, order for game day, or feed a crowd.
The food is only the beginning. NASHBIRD has a voice people remember, a neighborhood energy people want to return to, and an operator’s obsession with the details that make hospitality work. This is a brand built for guests who want more flavor and more fun—and for franchise partners who want to lead a team, connect with a community, and make something people talk about.
THE FOUNDER IS IN YOUR CORNER
Chef Marc started washing dishes at age 12. He went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, work in New York City fine dining, lead kitchens across multiple restaurant and food service segments, and train the next generation of chefs as an Executive Chef and culinary instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Austin and Director of Culinary Arts at Francis Tuttle. He opened NASHBIRD himself and knows what it takes to get through a demanding service, build standards, and turn first-time guests into regulars.
That experience shapes the support you receive. Franchise partners can expect two weeks of on-site training, one week of hands-on support during launch, and additional training when needed. You will learn the food, the systems, the service, and the leadership habits behind the brand from a founder who has worked the floor and the line. Marc is looking for partners who care as much about their people and their guests as they do about growth.
A BRAND GETTING ATTENTION
NASHBIRD is working with Kevin Harrington, the original Shark from Shark Tank, and Harrington Franchise Group as the brand expands through franchising. Marc shared his story as part of Daymond John’s Next Level CEO. That appearance brings new attention to an exciting chapter, while our foundation remains what happens inside each restaurant: bold food, genuine hospitality, disciplined ex*****on, and franchise partners who take ownership.
WHY THIS MOMENT MATTERS
Customers already know and love chicken. Our job is to give them a new favorite. NASHBIRD offers a distinctive menu and multiple ways to serve guests through dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering. It combines the personality of an independent restaurant with training and systems that help partners carry the brand into new markets. A franchise is a hands-on business. For the right operator, that is the exciting part: building a team, owning the standards, and becoming the place your community craves.
Franchise territories are available now. As partners join the system, the chance to introduce NASHBIRD to a particular market may change. If you have been waiting for a brand that matches your ambition, your energy, and your willingness to work alongside your team, take a closer look today. Ask about your territory, meet the people behind the brand, and see what it would take to bring NASHBIRD home.
Bring the hustle. Bring your people. We’ll bring the Hot Dang! Chicken.
