First local Huey Magoo's restaurant opens

The first Huey Magoo's chicken tenders restaurant in Missouri has debuted in the Queen City.

A grand opening was held yesterday at 3352 E. Sunshine St., according to a news release.

“We are super excited about this brand and bringing Huey Magoo’s to Springfield," a statement from franchisees James and Lisa Tillman reads. “Springfield is our hometown, and the community is very supportive of us and new concepts to the area."

The Sunshine Street location is the Tillmans’ first of five planned Huey Magoo's restaurants in the area, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The Springfield restaurant opened in a 2,900-square-foot building developed by Tillman Investments LLC.

It’s the 46th store systemwide for Florida-based Huey Magoo's, which currently operates in nine states, according to the release. The company is in growth mode, having sold more than 225 franchises in 12 states. The Huey Magoo's franchise fee is $35,000, with royalty fees of 5% and marketing fees of 2%, according to its website.

The Tillmans' next Huey Magoo's location in Ozark is scheduled to open in August, according to the release. The Ozark restaurant, planned at 5402 N. 23rd St., is replacing a former car wash, according to past reporting.

Huey Magoo's, which uses the marketing tagline "filet mignon of chicken," has a menu that includes chicken tenders, sandwiches, wraps and salads, according to its website.