This New Dallas-Based Chicken Restaurant Hopes to Rival Chick-fil-A 

After Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim expanded his Coppell-based empire, it was a shock when his next venture in Dallas was a one-of-one experience: Nuri Steakhouse. 

The East-meets-West steakhouse took nearly $20 million to make happen, and Kim’s primary goal was to create and design a restaurant that felt exclusive. We would hope that the wallpaper, which costs over $100,000, by the way, would do just that.

But Kim’s next venture traces back to his fast-casual roots. Flock & Fresh will be a brand new Dallas-based chicken chain that (we say) brings an essence of Chick-fil-A. 

Flock & Fresh will open on Saturday, May 2, in the Old Town Shopping Center at 5500 Greenville Ave., just a touch south of The Village. 

A lot of chicken chains have started in Dallas or in the near vicinity. We’ve got Church’s Chicken, William’s Chicken, Hall’s Chicken, Golden Chick, the list goes on. 

Minding the Flock

Kim’s approach to the bird will focus on healthier choices, never-frozen ingredients and bold flavors. Apparently, Dallas lacked a fast casual chicken option designed for those who valued quality and an atmosphere warm enough to linger in. 

Many of Kim’s concepts have been designed because he couldn’t find them anywhere else, like Nuri. There wasn’t a steakhouse in Dallas that he loved enough to return and bring his friends to, so he made it himself. 

And just like Nuri, Kim believed there isn’t another concept like Flock & Fresh. Its focus is on quality chicken raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. Also, it will be brined for 24 hours and hand-breaded before being served crispy or grilled. 

Another differentiating factor is that the culinary director from Nuri Steakhouse, Minji Kim, created the Flock & Fresh menu. The menu is very small and straightforward, allowing them to focus entirely on food. 

The Menu: The Triple Flock

Glancing at the menu online, there is one tender basket, two sandwiches, two salads, three sides, a two-piece tender and about a dozen or so drinks. 

The signature item on the menu is ‘The Triple Flock’, a three-piece tender plate served with house-made chips and kale salad.

Building off the tendies, you have two different sandwiches. One is called the Golden Treasure, a classic crispy sandwich with Flock spread and dill pickles on a brioche bun, and the other is called the “Not So Guilty” Pleasure, with grilled chicken instead of fried, bacon jam, Flock spread and dill pickles on a brioche bun.  

So the base options are pretty standard, but things branch out when you get to sauces, dips and drinks. They have their own signature sauce, a curry ranch, sweet Korean sauce, and the classics for the tenders and sandwiches. Then for salad dressings, there is a yuzu citrus, spicy harissa and lemon vinaigrette that are spicing things up.  

Basil lemonade and Desert Pear Lemonade are highlights of the drink menu, which also features hibiscus passionfruit tea and the typical soda offerings. Drink and all, the whole menu is under $15. 

In time, we imagine Kim will want to expand the concept across Dallas and scale it out to something major if this first location succeeds. Diners are pretty particular about their chicken, though, so only time will tell. 

The first question is, will their signature sauce rival or beat Chick-fil-A’s or Cane’s sauce? We’ll see. 

Flock & Fresh will open on Saturday, May 2, and will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at
5500 Greenville Ave. 

Special offerings for the grand opening include free meals for the first 250 guests (limit one per person), 50% off all menu items throughout the day and interactive experiences and giveaways until 4 p.m.