Dizzy Bird, the Southern California rotisserie-chicken concept founded by former Taco Bell employee Rashad Moumneh in 2023, generated $7.8 million in annual sales across its two existing units and is preparing to open its third restaurant — a roughly 3,000-square-foot Playa Vista location in a mixed-use development anchored by Whole Foods — before launching franchising.

The brand recently completed its franchise disclosure document, Moumneh told QSR Magazine. The franchisor has not run outbound franchise sales; prospective operators have discovered the opportunity by visiting existing restaurants and watching the traffic.

How did the concept prove itself before franchising?

Moumneh left corporate life in late 2014 or early 2015 and launched a food truck serving falafel, eventually attracting an angel investor and opening a Mediterranean brick-and-mortar in 2017. A second unit followed in 2018. COVID disrupted that trajectory, and Moumneh concluded the crowded Mediterranean category couldn't sustain another concept.

He turned to rotisserie chicken, a category ubiquitous in U.S. supermarkets but uncaptured by a national brand. His Lebanese background informed marinades that separate Dizzy Bird from grocery-store birds. The first Dizzy Bird opened in a Southern California mall food court in 2023 and outsold his former Mediterranean restaurant within months. That Mediterranean unit, at roughly 1,250 square feet, was converted to Dizzy Bird in 2024.

What does the menu engineering look like?

Moumneh built the menu around spatchcock rotisserie chicken and grilled wraps. Every wrap is cooked over an open flame in view of guests, alongside rotating chickens, basting, and chopping — a visual merchandising strategy that helped an unknown brand stand out in a food court next to national chains.

"We fill a need that's underserved, which is good-for-you, protein-forward meals and specifically chicken, specifically grilled chicken, not fried chicken," Moumneh said. "The product has to be good."

He deliberately avoids labeling Dizzy Bird as Mediterranean or Lebanese. His first concept taught him that cuisine-first positioning narrows how guests perceive the food; chicken provides a universal entry point, with heritage informing the kitchen rather than the marketing.

What's driving the off-premises economics?

Roughly half of transactions across the two units originate outside the four walls through digital ordering and third-party delivery. That mix has reduced the brand's dependency on dine-in real estate and supported a smaller physical footprint — until demand outgrew it.

Some customers visit with unusual frequency, eating lunch and ordering additional chicken to take home; others drive from Los Angeles and San Diego specifically to patronize the brand. The 1,250-square-foot inline restaurant is operating near capacity, Moumneh said.

Why open a 3,000-square-foot restaurant?

The Playa Vista unit, more than double the inline footprint, gives Dizzy Bird room to absorb dine-in demand and operate as a training restaurant as franchise deals close. Its mixed-use location anchored by Whole Foods signals retail density the brand's smaller prototypes couldn't support.

How will the franchise system roll out?

Moumneh initially favored company-owned development, influenced by his early career at Taco Bell. As the two units validated unit economics, he reconsidered the operator-driven model for its day-to-day accountability.

The franchisor will concentrate initial development regionally so supply chain and franchise support infrastructure scale alongside the unit base. Moumneh screens for operators with a long-term outlook and brand fit, followed by market knowledge, real estate capability, and capital — a sequencing aimed at avoiding what he sees as the industry pattern of collecting fees without building infrastructure.

"If I do it correctly, I could build a brand very strongly," Moumneh said.

"We're looking for people that are going to be happy," he added. "We're going to be happy and they're going to be happy working with us 20, 30 years from now."

What does the next 12 to 24 months look like?

The Playa Vista restaurant opens before franchise agreements sign, giving Moumneh a working training ground for initial operators. With supply chain infrastructure set to build alongside the unit base, the brand's pacing through 2026 will determine whether Southern California demand translates into regional multi-unit development.