Urban Bird Joins Cedar Park’s Hot Chicken Battle

Editorial illustration of an Urban Bird Hot Chicken restaurant.

Cedar Park is trading Italian ice for Nashville hot chicken as another spicy contender prepares to join the city’s increasingly crowded chicken scene.

Urban Bird Hot Chicken is preparing a new restaurant at 700 E. Whitestone Boulevard, Suite 100, inside the Village at Cedar Park. The restaurant will take over an existing ice cream shop currently associated with Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.

A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing calls for a $200,000 interior remodel of the 1,695-square-foot space. Construction is scheduled from October 15, 2026, through March 1, 2027.

And unlike some projects discovered only through construction records, Urban Bird has already confirmed this one. The company’s official location page lists Cedar Park as “Coming Soon.” See Urban Bird’s locations

Urban Bird Cedar Park Targets Spring 2027

Urban Bird founder Brandon Gawthorp has also discussed the Cedar Park expansion publicly.

Gawthorp said the Whitestone Boulevard restaurant was moving through the planning and permitting process, with roughly six months anticipated for permitting followed by approximately three months of construction. That put his preliminary opening target around spring 2027. Read more about the Cedar Park expansion

That timeline lines up fairly closely with the state’s construction schedule, which currently targets completion around March 1.

Still, spring 2027 should be treated as a target rather than a guaranteed opening date. Restaurant construction schedules can change as projects move through permitting and buildout.

When it does open, Urban Bird will bring a much different menu to a space previously associated with frozen treats.

From Italian Ice to Nashville Hot Chicken

Urban Bird specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken, with customers choosing among different heat levels.

The menu includes chicken tenders and sandwiches, chicken and waffles, loaded fries, mac and cheese and other sides. Urban Bird also markets its chicken as halal. Explore the Urban Bird menu

The concept was founded by restaurant operators Brandon Gawthorp and Chantel Fiaschetti, who previously gained restaurant experience through Wingstop franchises.

They launched the first Urban Bird in 2020, and the brand has since expanded across Texas. Read more about Urban Bird’s expansion

Now Cedar Park is becoming another piece of that growth.

But Urban Bird certainly won’t have the local hot-chicken market to itself.

Village at cedar park monument sign.  Location where Urban birds is coming soon to.

Cedar Park’s Hot Chicken Battle Is Heating Up

The Whitestone Boulevard corridor has become particularly interesting for chicken concepts.

Dave’s Hot Chicken has established a location farther east along Whitestone Boulevard, while Tumble 22 also operates in Cedar Park.

Urban Bird’s arrival adds another Nashville-style hot chicken brand to the mix, giving local diners yet another choice when they’re in the mood to voluntarily set their mouths on fire. 😂

And Urban Bird isn’t completely new to the surrounding area. The company already operates nearby in Round Rock, along with locations in other Texas markets.

The Cedar Park project therefore represents another step in the brand’s broader Central Texas expansion.

There’s Another Concept Hiding Inside

And here’s a fun little extra.

Urban Bird also operates a virtual concept called Chronic Fries, which focuses on loaded french fries and operates from Urban Bird kitchens.

Chronic Fries’ own location finder now lists:

Cedar Park — Coming Soon
700 E. Whitestone Blvd., Suite 100

That’s the exact address of the future Urban Bird. See Chronic Fries locations

So while customers will see Urban Bird on the building, the kitchen appears positioned to support another delivery-focused concept as well.

For now, the $200,000 transformation of the former ice cream space is scheduled to continue into early 2027.

And once the doors open, Cedar Park residents will have another decision to make along Whitestone Boulevard:

How hot is too hot?

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