SALT LAKE CITY – Progressive restaurant group, The McHenry Group (TMG), founded by award-winning restaurateur, Michael McHenry, has announced the acquisition of Dirty Bird Fried Chxx by Wags Capital, an investment firm specializing in food and beverage and the acquisition of emerging restaurant brands. Wags Capital will push aggressive plans to scale and open 30 new locations in the next one to two years with an investment of $20 million.

Dirty Bird Fried Chxx is a Nashville inspired hot fried chicken restaurant and brand with current locations in Provo and Ogden, Utah.

“I can’t think of a more perfect fit for the acquisition and growth of the Dirty Bird brand than Wags Capital,” McHenry said. “This deal represents exactly what TMG was founded to do. From concept incubation to brand creation and launching of our first Dirty Bird in a 263-square-foot restaurant to a long line of passionate ‘hot chxx’ lovers, we were able to create a multi-million-dollar brand that promises it will only grow. I am thrilled to announce this news.”

Dirty Bird represents one of several brands McHenry has incubated and launched viably in the past 36 months that have achieved both quest loyalty performance success. The TMG and Wags Capital partnership brings together two chief executive officers with track records of success – Aaron Wagner, CEO of Wags Capital, and McHenry.

“Wags Capital is one of the most progressive, creative investment firms in the country,” Wagner said. “With a TMG brand in our portfolio and a partnership with McHenry, we now have one of the most disruptive restaurant concepts in the industry within our fold. Dirty Bird Fried Chxx is a hot brand with the best ‘hot chxx’ in the country, combined with rich culture and scalable operations – that's a hard mix to find. This is a stand-out brand and we believe the potential is immense.”