ATLANTA, Ga. — Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced the opening of its first restaurant in The Beehive State, which will expand the brand’s footprint to 23 states. The new restaurant is located at 2093 W. Pleasant Grove Blvd in Valley Grove.
Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove marks the first franchise venture for father-son owners and operators, Michael and Rylan Mills. They make up half of their franchise group, MV&R Legacy Partners LLC, alongside their sons-in-law and brothers-in-law, Tommy Richardson and Trent Valentine. The group has agreed to bring The Chick’s Southern‑inspired menu and hospitality westward, with plans to develop six restaurants in Utah County and another seven in Arizona, which Richardson and Valentine will oversee starting next year.
Michael and Rylan are proud Brigham Young University graduates, each holding a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Michael, a CPA turned entrepreneur, owned and operated Stonebridge Manor, a wedding and event venue for 22 years, and Board & Batten, a high-end, chef-driven restaurant for the past eight. Rylan worked as a Senior Auditor at Deloitte for four years and has years of experience across all areas of Michael’s businesses. Additionally, Rylan’s wife, Kiera, manages social media; his sisters, Jacquie and Melanie, support grand opening operations; and Michael’s wife, Becky, oversees catering. Combined, the family’s accounting backgrounds and small‑business management experience will be instrumental as they step into franchise ownership.
“My family and I are so excited to bring the first Chicken Salad Chick restaurant to Utah this summer,” said Rylan Mills, co-owner of Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove. “The brand’s culture, core values and mission to ‘Spread Joy, Enrich Lives, and Serve Others’ immediately resonated with us. Having a strong sense of community is important to Utahns, and establishing a place that brings people together, serves scratch‑made food, and offers a welcoming atmosphere will be essential to our success. We can’t wait to meet our Pleasant Grove guests in just a few weeks!”
Chicken Salad Chick is known for its dozen-plus variety of made-from-scratch chicken salad flavors, fresh sides, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and desserts. The new Pleasant Grove restaurant offers in-restaurant dining, take-out, third-party delivery, and catering options.
“Expanding into Utah and achieving operations in 23 states has been a very meaningful milestone for our team,” said Scott Deviney, CEO and president of Chicken Salad Chick. “Partnering with new franchise owners like Michael and Rylan, who embody our core values and have a genuine passion for serving their community, makes this news even more exciting. We’re thrilled to be growing here and confident our dining experience will resonate with guests across the state.”
Giving back to the community is an important focus for the Pleasant Grove team and the Chicken Salad Chick brand, which established the CSC Foundation to support CURE Childhood Cancer and local food banks with fundraisers throughout the year. As part of pre-opening Friends & Family events in Pleasant Grove, the restaurant will be raising money for Tabitha’s Way, a network of local food pantries providing temporary food assistance and resources to individuals and families in Alpine, American Fork, Cedar Hills, Highland, Lehi, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, and Vineyard.
Chicken Salad Chick of Pleasant Grove will be open Monday – Saturday from 10am – 8pm. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit the Pleasant Grove restaurant’s Facebook. Visit www.chickensaladchick.com, and follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and trends.
About Chicken Salad Chick
Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors plus fresh sides, soups, sandwiches, desserts and catering, there’s something for every guest and occasion. Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 335 restaurants across 23 states and continues its rapid expansion driven by a passionate network of franchise owners. The brand has earned consistent recognition from Entrepreneur, Franchise Times, Fast Casual, QSR, Southern Living and Technomic, among others. Visit www.chickensaladchick.com to learn more.