SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The McHenry Group, a progressive restaurant group focused on experiential concept creation, today announced the acquisition of Dirty Bird Fried Chxx by Wags Capital, an industry leading boutique investment firm specializing in food & beverage and the acquisition of emerging restaurant brands. Wags Capital has committed an investment of $20 Million to fuel aggressive plans to scale and open as many as 30 new locations over the next 12-14 months. The McHenry Group (TMG) founder and concepteur, Michael McHenry, will retain a minority stake in the Dirty Bird brand.
“I can’t think of a more perfect fit for the acquisition and growth of the Dirty Bird brand than Wags Capital,” said McHenry. “This deal represents exactly what TMG was founded to do. From concept incubation to brand creation and launching of our first Dirty Bird in a 263 sq. ft. restaurant to a long line of passionate ‘hot chxx’ lovers, we were able to create a multi-million-dollar brand that promises it will only grow. I am thrilled to announce this news.”
Dirty Bird Fried Chxx is one of several brands McHenry has incubated and launched viably in the past 36 months that have won guest loyalty and exceeded performance expectations. The partnership between Wags Capital and The McHenry Group brings together two powerhouse CEOs, Aaron Wagner and Michael McHenry.
“Wags Capital is one of the most progressive, creative investment firms in the country,” said Wagner. “With a TMG brand in our portfolio and a partnership with McHenry, we now have one of the most disruptive restaurant concepts in the industry within our fold. Dirty Bird Fried Chxx is a hot brand with the best ‘hot chxx’ in the country, combined with rich culture and scalable operations –that's a hard mix to find. This is a stand-out brand and we believe the potential is immense.”
About The McHenry Group
National award-winning restauranteur, Michael McHenry (on IG: @michaelmchenry), known for incubating and developing brand concepts from startup to enterprise is the founder of The McHenry Group (TMG). Since its inception, TMG has introduced five new concepts in its three years of operation including its newest concept Sunday’s Best, featuring a chef-crafted all day brunch menu in Sandy, Utah (on IG @brunchmehard); Ginger Street, a ‘Southeast Asian Hawker-Style Street Food’ restaurant located downtown in Salt Lake City (on IG @gingerstreetslc); Dirty Bird Chxx, offering Nashville-inspired hot chicken to guests in Provo, Utah (on IG @dirtybirdchxx); acquiring ownership of Oak Wood Fire Kitchen in Draper, Utah (on IG @oakwoodfirekitchen), and digital brand, Southside Pizza Company delivering hand tossed, Neapolitan-style pizza through a Door-Dash exclusive in the south Salt Lake City area (on IG @southsidepizzacompany).
