Huey Magoo’s targets newest location in Midtown

The newest Queen City spot for a Florida-based chicken tenders franchise is expected to come later this year to the Midtown neighborhood.

James Tillman, local franchisee with Huey Magoo’s, said plans call for a major renovation of a building he and his wife, Lisa, purchased at 731 N. Benton Ave. near Drury University and Central High School. The 1,250-square-foot building formerly housed a Subway restaurant but has been vacant for months, he said.

The new location for Huey Magoo’s – the third in town and fifth in the Springfield area – are all co-owned by the Tillmans. He said the Benton Avenue shop, which will be roughly half the size of the other local stores, will have limited indoor seating and is being designed as a more of a “grab and go” concept. An early September opening is projected, he said.

While plans are to keep the exterior of the building, which he said was built in 1932, similar to its current look, the interior will be changed extensively.

“We’ll have all new electrical, plumbing, (heating, ventilation and air conditioning),” he said, declining to disclose startup costs. “We’ll pretty much redo the whole building on the inside. That’s part of the franchise agreement is to get the Huey Magoo’s look.”

Tillman said he didn’t have any expectations late last year for opening another local Huey Magoo’s, save for one in development in Nixa. However, that changed when he received a phone call from Scott Harrell with Scott F. Harrell & Associates Inc., who served as broker for the deal.

“The right property came along that I felt was the right location that we could make work,” Tillman said, noting he owns the restaurant via HM Midtown LLC and the real estate through JT Midtown LLC. “I’ve always got my eyes open and ear to the ground for the next investment. That’s what I do.”

Tillman said he also is serving as general contractor for the project, adding Ireland Architects Inc. is the architect. Its opening will arrive after the local franchisees’ most recent Huey Magoo’s launched in November 2025 in Republic, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. 

The new restaurant will likely open with approximately 15 employees led by District Manager Austin Welch, he said.

As for the Nixa restaurant, Tillman said the couple still owns property adjacent to OakStar Bank’s 605 W. Wren Ave. branch and will turn its attention to that location after the Midtown shop is complete. He estimates the Nixa location will come online sometime in 2027.

Huey Magoo’s has a franchise fee of $35,000, with royalty fees of 5% and marketing fees of 2%, according to its website.