Salads outsell fried favorites at this California chicken chain growing nationwide

A California-based chicken chain says salads have overtaken fried menu staples as its top-selling category as the company prepares for a multistate expansion.

Starbird, a "premium fast food" chain with about 20 brick-and-mortar locations across California and Colorado, has seen its entrée-sized salads become its top-selling category, founder Aaron Noveshen told FOX Business.

"We do serve wings and tenders and sandwiches and all the more traditional [quick service restaurant] or fast casual style of chicken products," Noveshen said. "But it's really the premium ingredients [and] the healthful indulgence that you can have at Starbird that really differentiates us."

Starbird’s salad lineup includes the Elote Chop Salad, Avo Cabo Crunch, Tokyo Sesame Crunch, Thai Chicken and Chicken Chop, according to the chain’s website.

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Founded in 2016 by Noveshen, a fine-dining chef, Starbird was built on the idea that American fast food could be elevated with higher-quality ingredients and a more modern guest experience.

The chain uses fresh chicken that is hand-breaded and cooked in rice bran oil in small batches — a process Noveshen says results in a lighter, fresher product.

"The product's incredibly fresh, incredibly light and delicious," he said.

Beyond its food, Starbird has leaned heavily into technology. 

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The majority of orders are placed digitally, whether through the company’s mobile app, online ordering platform or in-store kiosks, according to Noveshen.

In addition to its traditional "streetside" restaurants, the company operates in several nontraditional venues. 

Starbird has locations inside Levi’s Stadium, as well as at San Francisco International Airport and California Memorial Stadium, where the University of California, Berkeley football team plays. 

With the Super Bowl hosted at Levi’s Stadium this year, the Bay Area saw an influx of visitors and events leading up to the game. 

"Because Starbird is a known entity, people could fly in to have Starbird right at the airport, they could come to the stadium and have Starbird," Noveshen said. "… It was one of our biggest weeks in company history."

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As Starbird celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, the chain plans to expand into five new states over the next year, including Washington state, according to Noveshen.

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"That’s how we think about things at Starbird," Noveshen said. "Create a little positivity, put a smile on people’s faces and share some deliciousness."