Chester’s Chicken Launched Express Grab-and-Go Model
The restaurant chain introduced a new kitchen-efficient format in August 2026 to expand its footprint.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Dining Out
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In August 2026, Chester’s Chicken launched its new Chester’s Express grab-and-go restaurant model. This format utilizes high-speed ovens to prepare menu items, catering to operators with limited kitchen space.
Why it matters
The model provides a flexible solution for venues with limited kitchen accessibility, allowing the brand to expand its reach without the need for traditional fryers and hoods.
Chester’s Express menus feature items including tenders, bites, wings, sandwiches, potato wedges, macaroni and cheese, and honey butter biscuits. The chain operates a network of 1,200 franchised and licensed locations.
The players
Chester’s Chicken
This fried chicken chain headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, operates locations across the United States and Canada.
The details
Chester’s Express replaces traditional commercial kitchen equipment with high-speed ovens to prepare fully cooked menu items. The model was designed specifically to serve operators constrained by smaller kitchen footprints.
Timeline
Chester’s Chicken was founded in 1952.
The brand introduced its Chester’s 2.0 design at NACS in 2025.
Chester's Express launched at test locations in August 2026.
Additional locations were scheduled to launch in October 2026.
The company will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2027.
Culture Shift
The introduction of the Express model reflects a broader trend among fast-casual brands moving toward high-speed, space-efficient kitchen technology. By shifting away from traditional fryers, the company is pivoting to meet the demands of nontraditional retail environments.
Customers can expect to see these grab-and-go units in locations with smaller footprints, such as convenience stores or non-traditional retail spaces. This expansion increases the availability of the brand's signature menu items in areas that previously could not support a full kitchen.
The takeaway
The move toward high-speed ovens highlights how legacy brands are adapting to modern space constraints to remain competitive in the convenience market. Consumers will likely find more quick-service options in unconventional retail spots as the chain scales its new format.
What happens next
Chester's Chicken plans to expand the Express model to additional locations nationwide throughout 2027.
Further reading
For more on industry trends, visit the Dining Out section.
More information
View the full menu and company history on the Chester's Chicken company website.
Live Poll
Would you be more likely to buy food at a store with grab-and-go chicken options?
