Huey Magoo's, chicken finger chain with healthy options, coming to Springfield

James Tillman and his wife Lisa are preparing to open several Huey Magoo's locations in the Springfield area.Huey Magoo's is a Florida-based fast food chicken finger restaurant that touts itself as the "filet mignon of chicken."The first location in Springfield, which is expected to open in mid-April, will be located at 3352 E. Sunshine St. in the old Kum & Go building across the street from Waffle House."We're really excited to bring this to Springfield," Tillman said this week.Tillman, who founded Complete Electrical Solutions in Springfield, has experience in the restaurant industry.

He owns several First Watch restaurants in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas and has a hand in other projects like FD's Grillhouse.Tillman said he owns the building on Sunshine Street and initially planned on leasing the space to a different restaurant owner. When that deal fell through, however, Tillman started looking for chicken concepts to bring to Springfield and landed on Huey Magoo's.More:Popular restaurant chain Twin Peaks plans to open location in Springfield"My daughter told me to stop investing in other people and invest in myself," Tillman said.The menu at Huey Magoo's features traditional breaded chicken fingers, fries and coleslaw. But there are other options like grilled chicken fingers, sandwiches, wraps and salads.

Tillman said he believes the healthy options at Huey Magoo's set the chain apart from other chicken finger franchises like Zaxby's and Raising Cane's."I really like the food, the product, but the best thing that I like about it is that it has a healthy choice," Tillman said.Tillman said the second Huey Magoo's he's bringing to the area will be located near Highway 65 and Highway CC in Ozark on a property that used to house a car wash. After that, the plan is to add two or three more locations in the area, including one in north Springfield near Kansas Expressway and Kearney Street.