New tenant coming to empty lot on US 64

ASHEBORO — If you’re a connoisseur of chicken salad, you could be in for a treat: Chicken Salad Chick, a national franchise, is coming to Asheboro in the spring of 2027.

Ariel Umphenour of Piedmont Restaurant Group in Greensboro confirmed that her organization will be a franchisee of Chicken Salad Chick in Asheboro.

Trisect Commercial is the construction contractor and has experience building Chicken Salad Chick restaurants.

The latest in the chain will be located at 801 W. Dixie Drive, between McDonald’s and Quality Inn near I-73/74. The site was formerly occupied by Bamboo Garden but has been vacant for several years.

Umphenour said Piedmont Restaurant Group currently has five of the restaurants, with two in Virginia and three more in North Carolina.

The official Chicken Salad Chick website says it “stands proudly as the nation’s only fast-casual restaurant concept dedicated exclusively to fresh made chicken salad, offering a variety of flavors, along with sandwiches, fresh sides, gourmet soups, and delectable desserts. What sets Chicken Salad Chick apart is the personal touch that infuses every aspect of our menu. …”

Umphenour said Stacy Brown of Georgia “perfected the recipes” to serve to friends and family. She began selling chicken salad to help support her family.

The business was founded in 2008 by Stacy and Kevin Brown in Auburn, Ala., and has grown to more than 400 restaurants. North Carolina has 22 locations, including Piedmont Triad restaurants at High Point, Greensboro, Kernersville and Clemmons. Nationally, Chicken Salad Chick is mainly in the South but has spread as far west as Utah.

The Asheboro location, according to Umphenour, will have a drive-thru as well as indoor and some outdoor seating. The building, she said, will have a second unit which they’re looking to rent to another tenant.

Piedmont Restaurant Group is hoping to have a Chicken Salad Chick ribbon cutting sometime in April.