Chicken chain to open first Tampa Bay store

Slim Chickens will soon open in Wesley Chapel, and the chicken chain will then kick off a plan to open a total of 23 stores in the five-county Tampa Bay area of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Polk, according to franchisee Charlie Blumberg.

Blumberg, a Tampa Bay resident, says the Wesley Chapel store should be ready to open Aug. 24. Then the franchisee and his partners have plans for the rest of the stores, including another store in Pasco at New Port Richey.

The Arkansas-based chain has about 200 locations from Washington State to MacDill Air Force Base. Formed in 2003, the restaurant company serves chicken tenders, wings, chicken waffles and more.