Starbird Chicken Chain Emphasizes ‘Premium Ingredients’ with Salads Leading the Menu

A California-based chicken chain is making waves as salads have overtaken traditional fried menu items to become its top-selling category. This shift comes as the company gears up for a multistate expansion.

Starbird, a “premium fast food” chain with around 20 locations in California and Colorado, has seen its entrée-sized salads rise to the forefront of its offerings. Founder Aaron Noveshen shared insights with FOX Business, emphasizing the chain’s commitment to quality. “We do serve wings, tenders, and sandwiches, but it’s really the premium ingredients and the healthful indulgence that differentiate us,” he stated.

The salad lineup at Starbird is impressive, featuring options like the Elote Chop Salad, Avo Cabo Crunch, Tokyo Sesame Crunch, Thai Chicken, and Chicken Chop, all available on the chain’s website.

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Aaron Noveshen, a fine-dining chef, founded Starbird in 2016. (Starbird)

Founded in 2016 by Noveshen, a fine-dining chef, Starbird was established with the vision that American fast food could be elevated through the use of higher-quality ingredients and a modern guest experience. The chain prides itself on using fresh chicken that is hand-breaded and cooked in rice bran oil, a method that Noveshen claims results in a lighter and fresher product.

“The product’s incredibly fresh, incredibly light, and delicious,” he remarked.

Starbird has also embraced technology, with the majority of orders being placed digitally—whether through the mobile app, online platform, or in-store kiosks.

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Starbird salads and chicken sandwiches are pictured alongside the exterior of one of the chain’s brick-and-mortar locations. (Starbird)

In addition to its traditional “streetside” restaurants, Starbird has ventured into nontraditional venues, operating locations inside Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco International Airport, and California Memorial Stadium, home to the University of California, Berkeley football team. With the Super Bowl hosted at Levi’s Stadium this year, the Bay Area experienced a surge in visitors, which significantly boosted Starbird’s sales.

“Because Starbird is a known entity, people could fly in to have Starbird right at the airport, and they could come to the stadium and have Starbird,” Noveshen explained. “It was one of our biggest weeks in company history.”

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Noveshen plans to expand Starbird into five new states over the next year. (Starbird)

As Starbird celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, the chain is set to expand into five new states, including Washington, according to Noveshen. “That’s how we think about things at Starbird,” he said. “Create a little positivity, put a smile on people’s faces, and share some deliciousness.”

A California-based chicken chain is making waves as salads have overtaken traditional fried menu items to become its top-selling category. This shift comes as the company gears up for a multistate expansion.

Starbird, a “premium fast food” chain with around 20 locations in California and Colorado, has seen its entrée-sized salads rise to the forefront of its offerings. Founder Aaron Noveshen shared insights with FOX Business, emphasizing the chain’s commitment to quality. “We do serve wings, tenders, and sandwiches, but it’s really the premium ingredients and the healthful indulgence that differentiate us,” he stated.

The salad lineup at Starbird is impressive, featuring options like the Elote Chop Salad, Avo Cabo Crunch, Tokyo Sesame Crunch, Thai Chicken, and Chicken Chop, all available on the chain’s website.

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Aaron Noveshen, a fine-dining chef, founded Starbird in 2016. (Starbird)

Founded in 2016 by Noveshen, a fine-dining chef, Starbird was established with the vision that American fast food could be elevated through the use of higher-quality ingredients and a modern guest experience. The chain prides itself on using fresh chicken that is hand-breaded and cooked in rice bran oil, a method that Noveshen claims results in a lighter and fresher product.

“The product’s incredibly fresh, incredibly light, and delicious,” he remarked.

Starbird has also embraced technology, with the majority of orders being placed digitally—whether through the mobile app, online platform, or in-store kiosks.

BELOVED IOWA PIZZA FRANCHISE SERVES UP ‘MORE THAN PIZZA’ FOR ITS CUSTOMERS

Starbird salads and chicken sandwiches are pictured alongside the exterior of one of the chain’s brick-and-mortar locations. (Starbird)

In addition to its traditional “streetside” restaurants, Starbird has ventured into nontraditional venues, operating locations inside Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco International Airport, and California Memorial Stadium, home to the University of California, Berkeley football team. With the Super Bowl hosted at Levi’s Stadium this year, the Bay Area experienced a surge in visitors, which significantly boosted Starbird’s sales.

“Because Starbird is a known entity, people could fly in to have Starbird right at the airport, and they could come to the stadium and have Starbird,” Noveshen explained. “It was one of our biggest weeks in company history.”

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Noveshen plans to expand Starbird into five new states over the next year. (Starbird)

As Starbird celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, the chain is set to expand into five new states, including Washington, according to Noveshen. “That’s how we think about things at Starbird,” he said. “Create a little positivity, put a smile on people’s faces, and share some deliciousness.”