Guthrie’s, the Alabama-based, self-billed “original chicken finger specialist,” plans to have a grand opening at 9 a.m. Tuesday for its first Colorado Springs location — and the first in Colorado — at 1520 S. Nevada Ave.
The first 200 guests in line will receive free Guthrie’s for a year: The first 100 will receive one free Original Box Combo per week for 12 months and the next 100 will receive one free Original Box Combo per month for 12 months, company officials said in a release.
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As far as the menu goes, it will largely be the same as any of the other 70 locations across 14 states, said Tanner Guthrie, who will be one of the operators of the newest location. That menu includes chicken fingers, chicken tender sandwiches and a 25-tender “gut bucket,” along with sides including french fries and homemade coleslaw.
“We’re a family-owned store, we love the Springs, it is so beautiful here,” he said Wednesday. He said the restaurant feels more like a “mom and pop restaurant” than a corporate chain.
Tanner, alongside his brother Garrison and their father, Joe Kelly Guthrie, will run the South Nevada location. Tanner and Garrison are grandsons of Guthrie’s founder, Hal Guthrie.
The opening comes more than a year after Guthrie’s announced plans to expand into Colorado Springs. The company chose the Springs because of its strong military presence, the region’s growing population and its sense of community, the release states. Tanner said a business partner and old family friend also lives in Colorado Springs and loves it, encouraging them to come to the city.
“This opening represents more than our first restaurant in Colorado — it’s the beginning of a new chapter for the Guthrie family,” said Tom Carr, president & CEO of Guthrie’s Franchising. “Seeing Tanner and Garrison carry the family legacy forward while introducing Guthrie’s to an entirely new market makes this opening especially meaningful.”
While the trio would love to add more locations in Colorado, for now they’re focusing on the first and are not actively looking for a second spot, Tanner said.
The new Guthrie’s in Colorado Springs is set to open Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The building is shown ahead of the grand opening on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Alex Edwards, The Gazette)
Guthrie’s opened its doors in 1965 in Haleyville, Ala., serving up “high quality, affordable food.” In 1982, the company “revolutionized the fast-food industry” by becoming the first-ever chicken finger restaurant, the news release said.
The Springs location will be a 50-seat, 2,120-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru, according to plans submitted to Colorado Springs and publicly available through Accela.
Guthrie’s joins a seemingly always growing lineup of chicken-focused restaurants in the Colorado Springs market. El Pollo Loco, a Southern California restaurant chain known for its grilled chicken and fast-casual Tex-Mex fare, opened its first Colorado Springs location last fall; the culinary landscape also includes Angry Chicken, Birdcall, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Chicken Salad Chick, Daddy’s Chicken Shack, Dave’s Hot Chicken Wings, KFC, Popeyes, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Slim Chickens and more
Guthrie’s only uses fresh, never frozen chicken, Tanner said. While not locally procured, as Colorado is more of a cattle and ranching state, Guthrie’s uses chicken tenderloins that may be smaller in size but are far more tender, said Tanner.
But what really sets Guthrie’s apart is simple, according to Tanner.
“We’re the original fried chicken fingers restaurant; everyone else came after us,” Tanner said. “Our recipes have stayed the same since the 1970s. We put lots of love and care into our food because if you’re only going to do one thing, you should do it right.”
Dining and Cooking