Franchising

Starbird lands at University of California-Berkeley

Provided

September 29, 2022

Starbird has opened on the University of California-Berkeley campus, marking its third non-traditional location and 13th unit in California.

The stadium location opened in September in time for California Memorial Stadium's season-opening game and is serving chicken tenders and fries at the 50-yard line all season long. With the ability to exist in unique spaces such as stadiums and airports, Starbird offers guests the opportunity to experience the brand in a convenient setting, said CEO and Founder Aaron Noveshen.

"At Starbird, we place a deep commitment to providing our guests with one-of-a-kind premium fast food and customer service, and we're thrilled that we can continue to serve guests in the nontraditional segment," he said in a company press release. "With our headquarters and several locations in the Bay Area, we have a strong connection to the community and feel honored to be able to add an outpost within the stadium of one of our home teams."

Outside of Starbird's non-traditional locations, the brand's full menu offers tenders, hand-chopped salads, sandwiches served on house-baked rolls and more. The chicken is not raised with antibiotics, is individually hand-breaded in a secret blend of gluten-free flours and spices and is served with one of Starbird's nine homemade sauces. The chain also offers a suite of virtual brands under the Starbird name, including Starbird Wings, Starbird Salads, Starbird Bowls and its vegetarian plant-based concept, Gardenbird.

Starbird expanded into Los Angeles earlier this year with two pop-up kitchens and recently announced the opening of its first Southern California streetside location in Hermosa Beach coming in October. The brand is slated to open multiple restaurants in 2023 in Marina del Rey, West Hollywood and additional South Bay locations.

As part of its growth strategy, Starbird launched its national franchise program in September to expand in states across the U.S. including Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Illinois and Florida.