The first of the new sites will open in Leicester Square, Wembley and Edgeware Road, with more restaurant locations opening in the West Midlands, Swansea, East Midlands, Reading and Newcastle
A popular US chicken chain dubbed “better than KFC” is set to open 16 brand new sites in the UK this year.
Slim Chickens – a Southern-inspired chicken chain – will open two sites per month for the next five months, with the first two launching in London this month. The chicken shop chain first made its way across the pond to the UK in 2018 after launching in the US state of Arkansas in 2003. Currently, it has over 65 sites in the UK, with restaurants in Wolverhampton, Leeds, Bournemouth and Belfast. In the states, it has over 200.
The first of the new sites will open in Leicester Square, Wembley and Edgeware Road, with more restaurant locations opening in the West Midlands, Swansea, East Midlands, Reading and Newcastle. So far, 11 sites have been confirmed.
Some of the chain’s menu items include buttermilk marinated chicken tenders, chicken wings, boneless bites, sandwiches, salads, wraps, fries, and a range of 14 house dipping sauces. The dipping sauces include blue cheese, buffalo, cayenne ranch, gravy mayo, honey mustard, Korean BBQ, Slim Sauce and a limited-time “Unknown” sauce. The chain also has some exciting sides that you won’t find in any other UK food chain. These include fried pickles and Texas toast, which is thickly sliced bread with seasoning.
According to the UK menu, a three-piece tender meal will set you back £10.95, while a four-piece costs £12.45, a five-piece sits at £13.45, and a seven-piece is £14.95. The chain also offers a plant-based version, and the most expensive meal you can order is the “best of both” five and five tender and wing meal, which costs £16.95 and is served with Texas toast, seasoned fries, house sauces and a bottomless soft drink.
On social media, fans have raved about the chain over the last few years. On Instagram, one person said the food “looks phenomenal”, while on Reddit, another said “prefer it over KFC”. Over on X, there were similar sentiments, with one person posting: “Slim Chickens is the best chicken place I have ever been to and it’s not even close..” Another added: “What is the best fried chicken franchise and why is it Slim Chickens?” A third said: “Slim chickens is much better if you want good chicken, better than both KFC and Popeyes imo.”
Ben Blore, head of operations at Slim Chickens, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to bring Slim Chickens to these two iconic London locations. Our team has been dedicated to making sure every guest experiences our fresh, cooked-to-order chicken and authentic Southern hospitality at its finest.”
To mark the openings, Slim Chickens will be handing out thousands of “Golden Tickets” to the first customers at the sites, offering a chance to win fantastic rewards, including the grand prize of Free Slim Chickens for a Year. According to the chain, each ticket guarantees a prize, from 10% and 20% discounts on future orders to free shakes and meals. The exact opening dates for the restaurants will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
List of 11 Slim Chickens sites confirmed so far
- Leicester Square, London
- Wembley Park
- Edgware Road
- West Midlands
- Swansea
- East Mids
- West London
- Reading
- Glasgow
- Edinburgh
- Newcastle
