Mar. 1—Slim Chickens, the Arkansas-based fast-casual chicken chain, launched its second Colorado Springs-area location Monday when it opened at Falcon Marketplace, a shopping center being developed northwest of Woodmen and Meridian roads in unincorporated Falcon.

It joins a Slim Chickens that opened in March 2021 at the Victory Ridge development southeast of InterQuest and Voyager parkways on the Springs' far north side.

Two more Slim Chickens are expected to open this year — east of Academy Boulevard and Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs and in the South Academy Highlands shopping center, northwest of Interstate 25 and Academy in Fountain, south of the Springs.

The restaurants are being developed by the L.O.V.E. Restaurant Group, a franchisee with rights to Slim Chickens in Colorado and Utah, said Will Smith, a partner with the group and its CEO. L.O.V.E. also has Slim Chickens locations in Aurora, Centennial and Parker.

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"They're just really excited to have that option of a real high-end, quality chicken, fast-casual (restaurant)," Smith said of Falcon-area residents after Slim Chickens' debut at Falcon Marketplace. "The feedback that we got is that people were really waiting on us to get open."

Slim Chickens employs 75 people at its Falcon Marketplace location, which has sit-down and drive-thru service, according to a news release. The chain, whose Southern-inspired menu includes all-natural chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads, fries, coleslaw and macaroni and cheese, was founded in 2003. It now has more than 200 locations in 33 states.

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