Thai Bird Will Expand to Castle Hills Market
The restaurant will open a second location, bringing its Asian-inspired fried chicken to a new San Antonio neighborhood.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Thai Bird, a restaurant specializing in gluten-free, Asian-inspired fried chicken, will open a second location in the Castle Hills Market. The owners, David Gilbert and Kristin Alvarez, are expanding into the shopping center to reach a new community after establishing their initial presence in Alamo Heights.
Why it matters
Expanding into new retail hubs allows operators to capture additional foot traffic and diversify their customer base beyond a single flagship location. This move marks the latest growth phase for the brand, which first launched an outpost at Make Ready Market in 2023.
The brand is moving from one brick-and-mortar space, which opened in 2025 at 6401 Broadway, to a second footprint at 2211 NW Military Highway. This expansion adds a new unit in the Castle Hills Market shopping center.
The players
David Gilbert
Co-owner and operator of Thai Bird.
Kristin Alvarez
Co-owner and operator of Thai Bird.
The details
Owners David Gilbert and Kristin Alvarez secured a lease for the Castle Hills Market space to scale their operations. The concept centers on gluten-free, Asian-inspired fried chicken, a niche offering that the operators have refined since their initial 2023 launch at Make Ready Market.
Timeline
The original Thai Bird outpost opened at Make Ready Market in 2023.
The first brick-and-mortar space opened in Alamo Heights in 2025.
The owners teased the new location to the Current in Spring 2026.
Market Landscape
This second location follows the brand's successful 2025 transition from a market outpost to a full brick-and-mortar space. The expansion reflects a common growth trajectory for San Antonio restaurant operators scaling from niche market stalls to multi-site operations.
Operators considering similar expansion should analyze if their current supply chain can support the increased volume required for a second location. Owners should also evaluate whether their current concept relies on specific foot-traffic demographics that are replicated in the new site.
The takeaway
Successful scaling often requires proving the concept in a brick-and-mortar setting before adding a second unit. Owners should track their operational costs at the 6401 Broadway location to establish a performance benchmark for the new Castle Hills Market site.
Further reading
For more on industry shifts in the region, visit Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Antonio Current.
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