LONGWOOD, Fla. – Twenty years ago, two men who met golfing at Ole Miss opened their first restaurant, Huey Magoo’s in Oviedo.
Little did the duo know this fried chicken spot across from UCF would still be open 20 years later and grow into a chain with nearly 70 locations.
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Matt Armstrong and Thad Hudgens are the co-founders of Huey Magoo’s and not only are they celebrating the two decades of success, but also the opening of its first Longwood location.
“There is no better way to celebrate than with the opening of our franchise group’s new flagship location in Longwood, an area that we have had an interest in for many years,” Armstrong and Hudgens said in a news release.
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The new restaurant opened on Tuesday at 1022 West State Road 434. This marks the 68th restaurant for the chain spanning 12 states.
This location is 2,500 square feet with a double drive-thru, per a news release.
Huey Magoo’s serves tenders (dubbing it the “Filet Mignon of Chicken”) sandwiches, wraps and salads. It is even offering a $20 meal deal for its anniversary.
The president and CEO of the chain, Andy Howard, said the secret recipe for being in operation for 20 years is his team, from corporate and franchise partners.
“We don’t just pick anyone. We are careful choosing franchisees, and we have certain criteria looking at passion, experience and the financial, which are all needed to successfully develop the brand,” Howard said in a prepared statement.
All in all, Huey Magoo’s is continuing to expand. Howard told News 6 that it plans to have hundreds more locations within the next five years.
“From our birth in Central Florida to our boom across the Southeast and nationwide, it has been a true dream come true to witness the popularity of this unstoppable brand since myself and partners joined together with Matt and Thad to invest in the company. I always say we knew we had something special, and we were certainly right,” Howard said in a news release.
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