National fast-casual chicken restaurant chain to open first Sarasota location

After opening a Manatee County location earlier this year, a national fast-casual chicken restaurant chain will soon expand further locally into Sarasota.

Slim Chickens will open Oct. 10 at 4096 Jenkins Place, according to a press release. The location off of Clark Road will be the first in Sarasota for the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based chain, which opened another spot on State Road 70 East in the Lakewood Ranch area in January and currently has more than 200 locations over 33 states — including nine in Florida — and the United Kingdom, according to the release.

“We believe in serving fresh, high-quality food to guests who want fast service in a clean and friendly environment," said Tommy El Mahdi of Florida's Best Chicken, the local franchise operating the location, in a statement. "The Sarasota community has been incredibly welcoming and we couldn’t be more proud to open our restaurant here."

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The restaurant is known is for its buttermilk-marinated, hand-breaded and cooked fresh-to-order chicken tenders along with other chicken-centric dishes including wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads and chicken and waffles, with adult and kid's meals available. The menu also offers sweets such as milkshakes and desserts served in mason jars; Southern-inspired sides such as mac and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, fries, and fried okra, pickles and mushrooms; and 17 housemade dipping sauces.

“Our freshly made Southern dishes and homemade recipes create loyal guests who feel good about the food they’re eating, and we’re proud to be able to grow our loyal fan base into the Sarasota market,” Slim Chickens Chief Operating Officer Sam Rothschild said in a statement.

For more information on Slim Chickens' Sarasota location, visit slimchickens.com/location/sarasota. The Manatee County location is at 14675 S.R. 70 E. and is currently open 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. For more information, call 941-541-7546 or visit slimchickens.com/location/bradenton.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: National restaurant chain Slim Chickens open first Sarasota location