Minnie Bird Franchise Overview

About Minnie Bird

Minnie Bird is a fast-casual restaurant concept serving premium chicken sandwiches, wraps, and tenders, customizable dirty sodas, signature sauces, and complimentary soft-serve ice cream with every meal. Founded in 2024 in Schaumburg, Illinois, the brand operates in the Chicago area and is expanding nationally through both company-owned and franchise development. Minnie Bird is a partnership with Venture Kitchen, the Chicago-based restaurant group whose founders previously built Naf Naf Grill.

Franchise History

Minnie Bird opened its first restaurant in Schaumburg, Illinois, in October 2024, founded by David Sloan, Franklin Buchanan, Stephanie Simpson, Sean Thomas, and Patrick Wartan in partnership with Venture Kitchen, the Chicago-based restaurant group whose founders previously built Naf Naf Grill.

The brand is named for Minnie Sinclair, the great-great-grandmother of co-founder Sean Thomas, who helped raise Wendy's founder Dave Thomas and shaped his early relationship with food. That heritage informs the brand's approach: hospitality-forward, generous, and built around the small details guests remember.