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NASA projects an image of the Artemis II Mission “Patch” onto the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 3, 2025. Several hundred current and former NASA employees back a letter criticizing budget and workforce cuts. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) — Several hundred current and former NASA employees, including at least four retired astronauts, backed a letter that opposes the Trump administration’s significant cuts to the federal space agency. The letter, which included 131 signatures and 156 unnamed ones out of “fear of retaliation,” is titled “The Voyager Declaration.” It is named after the two NASA spacecraft exploring space when they launched in 1977 from Florida. The retired astronauts who signed the letter include Cady Coleman, Steve Swanson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and John Herrington. Scientists outside NASA, including 20 Nobel Prize winners, also have given their support for the agency that was found in 1958 before the first unmanned satellite launched. The letter was addressed to Sean Duffy, who was named interim NASA administrator on Juy 10 and continues to serve as Transportation Secretary. He replaced acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro, a long-time agency employee. “In light of your recent appointment as Interim NASA Administrator, we bring to your attention recent policies that have or threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security, and undermine the core NASA mission,” the letter reads. They urged Duffy to oppose a 24% budget reduction and 31% workforce cuts as proposed by the Trump administration. Out of the 17,000-plus NASA employees, 2,600 have lost their jobs, according to Politicio. And at least $117 million in NASA grants already have been canceled. Congress sets U.S. spending. Workers at other federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, have penned similar letters opposing cutbacks. “The consequences for the agency and the country alike are dire,” the letter says. The signers of the letter cited wasteful efforts affecting the workforce. “Major programmatic shifts at NASA must be implemented strategically so that risks are managed carefully,” the letter reads. “Instead, the last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA’s workforce. “We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources. These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law.” The letter lays out several things on which the letter writers say, “we dissent”: Changes to NASA’s Technical Authority Closing of missions appropriated by Congress “Indiscriminate” cuts to NASA science and aeronautics research “Non-strategic staffing reductions” Canceling of NASA participation in international missions Termination of contracts and grants “unrelated to performance” Elimination of programs for supporting NASA’s workforce The Technical Authority was established in wake of the 2003 Columbia shuttler disaster that killed seven astronauts. It allows workers in all levels of the agency to voice concern outside a usual chain of command. The letter was dedicated to the Columbia astronauts, as well as Gus Grissom, Ed White And Roger Chaffee, who died aboard Apollo 1 at the launch pad in 1967, and seven killed in the 1987 Challenger explosion. “Their legacies underpin every conversation about our shared commitment to safety and dissenting opinions at NASA,” the letter reads. Monica Gorman, an operations research analyst at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., told The New York Times: “We’re afraid of retaliation.” She added: “I’m already at risk of losing my job, and I’d rather speak out and try to save something at NASA, rather than just hide under my desk until I get laid off. But I am scared.” Ella Kaplan, who also works at Goddard, as a contractor for website administratipon, signed the letter. Kaplan told Nature.com she doesn’t expect Duffy to read the entire letter but the declaration is “about getting our dissent out to the public and saying, ‘Hey — this is what’s happened at NASA, and this is not OK.’” NASA spokesman Bethany Steven told Nature.com that NASA is not interested in sustaining “lower-priority missions.” “We must revisit what’s working and what’s not so that we can inspire the American people again and win the space race,” she said. Makenzie Lystrup, Goddard’s direct since 2023, resigned, effective Aug. 1, after the letter was released, according to an internal email obtained by CNN. NASA, with the retirement of the shuttle in 2011, mainly relies on SpaceX, a private company, to send astronauts to the International Space Station. NASA is leading the Artemis program to send humans to the moon again in a few years. The agency is working with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Intuitive Machines as well as foreign public agencies. Read More

A Maryland woman who won $100,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket in 2021 earned a $50,000 prize from another game this month. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) — A Maryland woman who won a $100,000 lottery prize a few years ago scored another $50,000 prize — and this time, she said she’s keeping it a secret. The Frederick woman told Maryland Lottery officials she bought three $50,000 CASH tickets from the Washingtonian Express convenience store in Frederick when she had only meant to buy two. “This whole thing was an accident. I wanted to buy two $50,000 CASH tickets but hit the quantity button an extra time by accident,” she recalled. The third ticket turned out to be a $50,000 winner. The woman previously visited lottery headquarters in 2021 to collect a $100,000 prize from a bingo-themed scratch-off ticket. “That this could happen to me again, it’s just mind-boggling,” she said. “The store was crowded so I fought back the urge to shout it out, to tell everyone what had just happened.” The woman said that she plans to keep her most recent lottery win a secret. Read More

Jennifer Tilly will be seen in Season 3 of “School Spirits” on Paramount+. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo July 21 (UPI) — Jennifer Tilly — best known for playing Tiffany and a fictionalized version of herself in the Chucky film and TV franchise — has joined the cast of School Spirits Season 3. “Very excited about joining School Spirits for Season 3!” Tilly wrote on X Monday. Deadline reported Tilly will play a character named Dr. Deborah Hunter-Price, but offered no details about who she is or how she might interact with the show’s main characters. The Paramount+ ghost story follows a group of students trying to rescue Maddie (Peyton List), a teen who seems to be caught between the worlds of the living and dead in their high school. The cast includes Kristian Ventura, Milo Manheim, Spencer MacPherson, Kiara Pichardo, Sarah Yarkin, Nick Pugliese and Rainbow Wedell. Season 2 wrapped up in March. Read More

People who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in saturated fat, researchers reported. Photo by Jane T D./Pexels July 21 (UPI) — A new egg study has produced sunny-side-up results for the oft-maligned breakfast staple. Eggs are commonly thought to increase the risk of heart disease by raising people’s cholesterol levels. But people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in saturated fat, researchers reported in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Indeed, the amount of saturated fat in a person’s diet tended to increase their LDL cholesterol levels, not the cholesterol found in eggs, results show. “You could say we’ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg,” senior researcher Jon Buckley, a professor at the University of South Australia, said in a news release. “So, when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it’s not the eggs you need to worry about — it’s the extra serving of bacon or the side of sausage that’s more likely to impact your heart health,” Buckley added. Eggs are a unique food, in that they are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, he said. “Yet, it’s their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet,” Buckley said. For the new study, researchers recruited 61 adults 18 to 60 with an average LDL cholesterol level of 105. LDL cholesterol levels above 100 are considered “at risk” for heart disease, and 160 and higher are “dangerous,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. This type of cholesterol contributes to plaques that can block arteries and cause heart attacks or strokes. Participants took turns cycling through three different types of diets for five weeks each: • A high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet with two eggs a day. • A low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet without eggs. • A high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet that included one egg a week. “To date, no studies have directly compared the effects of a high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet, as is common in Western diets, with a high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet or a low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet,” researchers noted in their report. By the end of the study, 48 people had completed all three diets. Blood samples were taken after each cycle, to see how the different diets affected their LDL cholesterol. People’s LDL cholesterol fell when on the two-egg diet, compared to the other two eating patterns, results show. They wound up with average LDL cholesterol levels of just under 104, compared with 108 and 109 for the other two diets. “In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, finding that high dietary cholesterol from eggs, when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet, does not raise bad cholesterol levels,” Buckley said. “Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the real driver of cholesterol elevation,” he noted. Specifically, each 1-gram increase in saturated fat was associated with a 0.35-point increase in LDL cholesterol, the study says. But no significant relationship was found between cholesterol intake and a person’s LDL cholesterol levels, results show. “Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,” Buckley concluded. More information The Cleveland Clinic has more on blood cholesterol levels. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Read More

In The Fourth Trimester, we ask parents: What meal nourished you after welcoming your baby? This month it’s oxtail guisado from novelist Cleyvis Natera. For an entire week, I’d been lying as still as possible, sitting upright only to breastfeed my two-month-old baby girl, Penelope. Any time I moved, sharp rays of pain slithered up my lower back, radiating so intensely I had to clamp my eyes and mouth shut just to keep from crying out. My two-year-old son, Julian, took notice. “Did that baby hurt you?” he asked, chunky hands caressing my cheek. “No, Penelope didn’t hurt me,” I reassured him. “Mommy hurt herself.” My predicament was not labor related. In fact, I’d been stunned by how quickly I’d recovered post-C-section. Just a couple of weeks earlier, I had been flushed with an energy I never experienced when I gave birth to my son. It was with this renewed vigor that I’d come across a barrage of headlines about the singer Ciara’s post-baby body transformation. She had “snapped back,” returning to her pre-baby weight with lightning speed. I was used to a strong, fit body. Not long ago, I’d completed a marathon, and had even finished a few triathlons. Now, after my second child, there was a softness, a broadening of my figure I didn’t want to accept. Outside, it was late summer and through my great room’s street-facing windows in Montclair, New Jersey, I saw athletic bodies glowing golden, midriffs exposed in a blur of motion. I considered the remaining 12 weeks of my maternity leave. Why not reach toward a better-than-before-the-babies, celebrity-level body? I, too, could diet and take advantage of the extra caloric deficits from breastfeeding. I, too, could tackle intense workouts and shred the baby weight. So I ordered a DVD set for an at-home workout and decided to have my own snap-back summer. Eating nothing but grilled chicken and lettuce for most meals, I made it all the way to day five when an overly enthusiastic burpee halted all dreams of a svelte physique. Upon flinging my body into the air, I realized something had gone terribly wrong. My husband carried me to bed. I’d pulled my back out; after a couple weeks of rest, it would heal itself, my doctor assured me. While I recovered, my mother agreed to stay with us. I knew what I craved, and she’d anticipated as much: Within an hour of arriving, a familiar, piquant aroma wafted from the kitchen. My mother hummed an old bolero song as she cooked, and the combination of her voice singing, “Besame, besame mucho,” and those sweet, tomato-laden vapors felt, at the time, more potent than any painkillers I’d been prescribed. The scents and sounds transported me back to the Dominican Republic, my birthplace, to a time when my 10-year-old body climbed up the side of our simple concrete house easily, all the way to the roof, in search of a lost baseball or a few moments of solitude, when my agile body had known no pain. Soon my mom presented me with a steaming plate of tender Dominican oxtail guisado in a red sauce. I handed her the baby, making a trade, and sat crooked on the couch, devouring the juicy meat, surprising myself at how hungry I’d been. My mother glanced at me with concern as she held Penelope and played with Julian, encouraging me to eat more, more, even bringing me extra servings so I could keep going. As I filled my belly, I could feel myself grow stronger, more alert. Yet there was something else about this meal that satisfied more than my hunger. Making oxtail guisado entails a simple yet lengthy process, sometimes requiring three hours of slow-simmered cooking time, which was part of the reason I’d never bothered to learn how to make the dish myself. But as I enjoyed the savory flavors with a throbbing back, I was reminded of other major milestones in my life—both happy and difficult times—when I’d eaten this dish, and how it had enriched me. Its consistency was a map that tracked where I’d been, who I’d been. Seeing my mother playing with my children created a sense of urgency within me. “I want you to teach me how to make oxtails,” I told my mother in Spanish. The worry left her features immediately. She laughed so loudly her shoulders shook. “In this state?” she asked. But I was determined to learn. My mother would be leaving for DR in just a week. A few days later, I stood beside her as she cut onions into thin slices. By then, I could be on my feet as long as I moved slowly. The dried oregano bunches she’d bought from the Dominican grocery store were so aromatic I wanted to hang them in my bathroom, smell them every morning when I woke up. I pulled the small dry leaves, crushed them between my palms, the smoky, pungent fragrance jolting me awake. My mother and I didn’t need to talk as we worked. I had seen her do this from a distance countless times as a child, before I had any language to express how beautiful I thought she was. Over those three decades, her weight had often fluctuated, depending on whatever she was going through. Yet, I’d always looked on at her in wonder, admiring the way she comforted us with her presence and her skill. She was as beautiful then as she was now. Standing next to her, gingerly limiting my movements because of pain I’d inflicted to make myself smaller suddenly seemed absurd. As the hours flowed, I added enough water for my oxtails to drown and boil, undisturbed. I was relieved the recipe called for resting time, for restraint. I went back to the couch, fed my baby, gave Julian a kiss, added more water to the meat, went back to rest. With each trip to the stove, I felt my body loosening up, the tension I’d

Oxtails Step 1 Rinse 2½ lb. ½”–¾” thick oxtails under cool running water; drain and place in a large bowl. Add 1 large red onion, thinly sliced, 1 large green bell pepper, halved, ribs and seeds removed, cut into strips, 1 bunch cilantro, tough stems removed, cut into 2″-long pieces, 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, one 1.4-oz. packet sazón con culantro y achiote (about 2 tsp.), 2 Tbsp. adobo seasoning, and 2 Tbsp. dried oregano and mix until meat is coated in seasonings. Step 2 Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Working in 3–4 batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add oxtail (try to leave most of seasoning in bowl, but if some cilantro and vegetables adhere, that’s okay). Cook, turning halfway through, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate as you go. Step 3 Return all oxtails to pot. Pour 4 cups water into bowl with remaining seasonings and vegetables, then add to pot. Bring to a simmer (still over medium-high heat); cover and cook until liquid reduces by a fourth, about 30 minutes. Step 4 Stir 3 oz. tomato paste (about 6 Tbsp.) and a little oxtail cooking liquid in a small bowl until paste is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and stir tomato paste mixture into broth in pot. Re-cover pot, leaving lid askew, and cook, skimming excess fat or scum from surface as needed and adding up to 1 cup water to keep oxtails covered if needed and/or reducing heat to medium-low to prevent meat from burning underneath, until meat separates from the bones and is tender, 30–60 minutes. (If meat still isn’t tender at this point, add a little more water and continue cooking, checking for doneness and adding a little more water every 15 minutes until ready.) Do Ahead: Oxtails can be cooked 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill. Skim off any excess fat before reheating gently on stovetop or in microwave. Salad and Assembly Step 5 Gently toss 2 avocados, cut into about ¾” pieces, 1 large cucumber, peeled, cut into about ¾” pieces, juice of 1 lime, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and a pinch of freshly ground pepper in a large bowl to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Step 6 Divide oxtails among plates and arrange some salad on the side of each. Read More

Iconic Midwest pizza brand expands to Florida, earns industry honors and builds momentum for back half of 2025 Davenport, IA  (RestaurantNews.com)  With more than 52 years delivering unforgettable pizza creations and tasty ice cream treats, Happy Joe’s Pizza and Ice Cream is showing no signs of slowing down. As the brand crosses the halfway point of 2025, it is celebrating a series of standout achievements, including record-breaking sales, national recognition and a wave of strategic growth. In April, Happy Joe’s entered the Florida market with a new restaurant in Navarre. The location opened with back-to-back VIP events and a Grand Opening Day that shattered company records – setting an all-time single-day sales record and going on to set a new record for the highest seven-day sales period in the brand’s history. “The Navarre debut set a new bar for what success looks like for us,” said Tom Sacco, CEO, President and Chief Happiness Officer at Happy Joe’s. “It reinforced that our model, our menu and our mission resonate with guests beyond the Midwest. This momentum is carrying us into new markets and inspiring renewed energy systemwide.” Happy Joe’s continues to gain national recognition as a franchise to watch. The brand was named to Pizza Marketplace’s 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, earning the No. 21 spot, and Sacco was honored as one of the Top 25 Executives of the Year. On the culinary side, it took home a Flavor & Menu award for its innovative Big Max Pizza. The brand’s visibility has expanded across national and trade media, with Sacco featured on the cover of PMQ Pizza Magazine, highlighting their long-term strategy and values-based leadership. The marketing team was featured in PMQ during Women’s Empowerment Month with a byline from Haley Leuth discussing its commitment to inclusion and representation. It has also maintained a consistent presence in holiday and seasonal coverage across major food and lifestyle outlets, with mentions for New Year’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, National Pizza Day, Lent, Pi Day, Easter, Tax Day and multiple appreciation weeks in spring. Looking ahead, Happy Joe’s continues to focus on franchise development across its existing markets and in new territories, including Texas and additional locations in Florida. For more information about Happy Joe’s, visit HappyJoesFranchising.com. For information on starting a Happy Joe’s Pizza franchise, contact Kat Davidson at KatD@drhnow.com or call (678) 485-8413. About Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream Founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty in Davenport, Iowa, Happy Joe’s dream was to create a restaurant concept that focused on serving America’s two favorite foods – pizza and ice cream – in a family-friendly, celebratory environment. Owned and operated by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc., Happy Joe’s has been named a FastCasual “Top 200” concept, Franchise Times “Top 400” business, and Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 500” restaurant. The family-centric, child entertainment franchise pizza brand has three company-owned and 44 franchise locations throughout the Midwest with more in the pipeline. To learn more, visit HappyJoes.com, or follow Happy Joe’s on Facebook, X and Instagram. Contact:Jay BrasherChampion972-930-9933jbrasher@championmgt.com More from Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream Read More

Jonathan Fitzpatrick Respected Industry Leader to Join Iconic Sandwich Brand on July 28 Miami, FL  (RestaurantNews.com)  Subway®, one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, today announced that Jonathan Fitzpatrick will join the company as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective July 28, 2025, following a comprehensive search. With more than two decades of franchising and quick service restaurant experience, Fitzpatrick has a proven track record of elevating sales and operational performance across global networks. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Driven Brands where he led a best-in-class team to 17 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth. Previously, Fitzpatrick served in a range of senior leadership positions at Burger King, including Executive Vice President, Chief Brand and Operations Officer. In the role, Fitzpatrick led the single largest menu overhaul in the brand’s history, simplified restaurant operations and reimagined the guest experience while modernizing the restaurant’s global image. “I’m honored to lead this iconic brand that has been serving guests around the world for 60 years,” Fitzpatrick said. “Subway has a solid foundation built on decades of providing freshly made, better-for-you options with value and convenience. I’m excited by the opportunity to shape the future of the company, working alongside our valued franchisees and employees to help drive increased sales and franchisee profitability and grow our brand around the world.” Fitzpatrick will work closely with Interim CEO Carrie Walsh to ensure a seamless transition. About Subway® Restaurants As the global sandwich leader, Subway® serves freshly made sandwiches at a great value to millions of guests around the world in nearly 37,000 restaurants every day. Subway® restaurants are owned and operated by a network of thousands of dedicated Subway® franchisees who are passionate about consistently delivering a high-quality, convenient guest experience and contributing positively to their local communities. For more Subway News visit: newsroom.Subway.com. Subway® is a globally registered trademark of Subway IP LLC or one of its affiliates. © 2025 Subway. Read More

Toppers Pizza CEO Adam Oldenburg with Manager of the Year Erik Karstens (La Crosse, WI). Popular pizza concept celebrates brand momentum, team excellence and customer-first culture during three-day event Whitewater, WI  (RestaurantNews.com)  Toppers Pizza wrapped its 2025 National Convention last month, welcoming a passionate crowd of franchise owners, general managers, team members and executives to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, from June 9–11. The event focused on recognizing top performers, strengthening leadership skills and uniting team members through a shared commitment to customer satisfaction and store-level excellence. A fan-favorite tradition at the event, the Rush Competition, once again brought the energy. Rush contestants must make one Large Handtossed Pepperoni, one Large Handtossed Toppers Classic, and one Triple Order of Topperstix. The person who does this in the fastest time – while made up to the brand’s standards – wins. This year’s winner, Paige Stafford-Vest, Area Supervisor with Pizza People LLC, smashed previous records with a lightning-fast time of 1:36.69. Toppers Pizza Rush Competition Award Winner Paige Stafford-Vest (Pizza People LLC) with CEO Adam Oldenburg. Toppers Top Honors Perfect 10 Holding LLC took home the Franchisee of the Year Award while Erik Carstens of the La Crosse, Wisc. location won Manager of the Year. This year’s President’s Award went to Brian Albrecht (recognized for his work as an Area Supervisor with PJD Investments before becoming an owner-operator with Dough Group LLC) and Christina Szejna, Area Supervisor, Pizza People LLC. “Giving customers what they want is at the core of everything we do, and this yearly convention really speaks to that,” said Vice President of Operations Matt Martin. “While we are thrilled to hand out awards every year, this convention is about so much more than winning prizes. It serves as a yearly reminder that great food, great service and great people are the real drivers of success, and when we focus on the customer, we all win.” Franchisee of the Year: Perfect 10 Holding LLC Steven Larson and Kendall Richmond (CFO). The convention reinforced Toppers’ brand mission to elevate every touchpoint of the guest experience by investing in team training, consistent food quality and a dynamic brand culture. With over 70 stores across the U.S. and a growing list of franchise partners, Toppers continues to carve out its space in the fast-casual pizza segment. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Toppers Pizza is known for its fresh, handmade and customizable pizzas delivered extremely fast, with more than a million combinations of fresh, high-quality toppings. Fans also continue to flock to the brand’s signature Topperstix, bold wing flavors and indulgent desserts. For more information on Toppers franchising or to order online for delivery or pickup, visit Toppers.com or check out the app. About Toppers Pizza Founded in 1991 as an alternative to big-box pizza, Toppers is built on a bold attitude with the product to back it up. Headquartered in Whitewater, Wis., 70+ Toppers locations are on a mission to redefine what customers should expect from QSR pizza. The menu features unique flavors, bold recipes, crave-worthy Topperstix, signature wings, specialty desserts and a growing selection of offerings for a diverse lifestyle. By consistently giving customers what they want, Toppers has forged an untapped space in the pizza industry and is thriving in a digital-first, post-pandemic world. World-class technology ranking among the top QSR pizza concepts, consistent menu innovation, a powerfully focused digital media strategy and Gen Z-centric social media channels drive 75%+ of sales online for the brand. With franchisees achieving a $1,000,000+ average unit volume across the entire system, Toppers Pizza is primed for major growth and is looking for like-minded franchisees to join its system. For more information, visit Toppers.com/franchise and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram. Contact:Jay BrasherChampion806-437-9583jbrasher@championmgt.com More from Toppers Pizza Read More

Houston, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  Urban Bird Hot Chicken is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its 21st location. Known for its bold flavors, handcrafted hot chicken and unique menu, Urban Bird Hot Chicken continues its expansion across the nation with this exciting new opening and franchising program offering aspiring entrepreneurs and fans of the brand an opportunity to own a piece of the Urban Bird legacy. “We started Urban Bird with a simple mission: to elevate hot chicken to a whole new level and deliver the freshest and most crave-worthy hot chicken with integrity and boldness. That meant using only the highest-quality ingredients, making every order fresh, and crafting our own signature breading from scratch. Even our chicken is brined for 24 hours before it ever hits the fryer. The result? Unbelievably juicy, flavor-packed chicken that stands out from the rest. In my opinion, it’s the best Nashville hot chicken you will find – and I genuinely believe that.” said Chantel Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and President of Urban Bird Hot Chicken. The brand has gained a cult-like following for its spicy fried chicken sandwiches, Urban Fries, and signature house-made sauces. With a growing fan base and momentum from 20 successful Texas locations, the company is now franchising nationwide. Grand Opening Details: Location: Urban Bird Hot Chicken – 1014 Wirt Rd., Houston, TX Opening Date: July 21st, 2025 Urban Bird invites the Houston community to celebrate with them, enjoy the menu, and learn more about its new franchising opportunities. For more information on Urban Bird Hot Chicken or franchising opportunities, visit UrbanBirdHotChicken.com or follow Urban Bird Hot Chicken on social media. Media Contact:Brandon GawthorpUrban Bird Hot Chickenbgawthorp@urbanbirdhotchicken.comWebsite: visit UrbanBirdHotChicken.comFranchising: UrbanBirdHotChicken.com/franchise/ More from Urban Bird Hot Chicken Read More