Serving up a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Our Brand Chicken Salad Chick, the nation s only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept was founded in 2008 in Auburn, Alabama by Stacy and Kevin Brown. What started as a small takeout restaurant has quickly grown through the Southeast. Our founders instilled a strong culture of hospitality where we pride ourselves on delivering Southern Style Chicken Salad Served from the Heart. Chicken Salad Chick is uniquely positioned in the fast casual space in that no other restaurant concept specializes in fresh, house-made chicken salad. The concept truly offers a one of a kind experience. We use the highest quality ingredients offering guests a neighborhood restaurant experience, specializing in a wide variety of fresh, house-made chicken salads, soups, sandwiches and desserts. Approximately 75% of Chicken Salad Chick locations are franchised with the remaining 25% being company owned. Our franchise owners are carefully selected, ensuring that the Chick culture is maintained to the highest degree. Kevin & Stacy believed you should never pass on an opportunity to show someone how much you care, which is why the chicken salads are named after real Chicks, - aunts, mothers, daughters & friends.
Our Founders Our Story, which resides on a prominent wall of every restaurant and on the back of every take-out menu, was written just 1 week after Kevin and I opened the doors of our first homespun, take-out only, Chicken Salad Chick. While it tells the story of how I began in my home kitchen, equipped with just a few flavors of chicken salad and a car magnet, that was only the beginning. The truth is, we didn t realize that the most amazing parts of Our Story would take place after that piece was written. Just after opening, we expanded from a single take-out only spot to 3 restaurants in the Auburn & Opelika, AL area. We were busy as can be, but were asked dayin & day-out how do I get one of these in my hometown?. We started putting names on a waiting list and, somehow, Kevin was able to complete the franchisor process, and in 2012 we sold 18 in our first month! As months went by, we partnered with Betty & Earlon McWhorter and grew to 5, 10, and then our 30th store on Auburn University s campus. Chicken Salad Chick was Pictured L to R: Lydia, Kevin, Carson, Stacy, Jack & Olivia growing beyond our wildest imagination when the devastating diagnosis of Kevin s cancer surprised us all. Despite his ongoing battle, our team continued to grow and in May 2015, we welcomed Eagle Merchant Partners, a private equity firm based in Atlanta. While we focused on his health, our brand was able to continue growing under the leadership of CEO, Scott Deviney, and Chairman of the Board, Russ Umphenhour, and our amazing team. Now, as we have more than 60 stores across the Southeast, I m often asked what makes this so special?. Of course I think the chicken salad is great, but it s more than that. It s about our spirit and our culture, and it s about our purpose to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others. Everyone who is a part of chicken salad chick believes in that - from the team member making sandwiches to the CEO. We realize that our higher purpose is about more than chicken salad. It s about impacting lives the best way we know how. We feel so blessed to be able to live out our purpose every day and to have such amazing guests who appreciate it just as much as the chicken salad. - Stacy Brown While Kevin fought his hardest, he lost his battle to cancer in November 2015. Before passing, he solidified his legacy with the creation of the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation, where our purpose is to fight cancer & feed the hungry. As a brand, we work together on these initiatives in store & in our communities. BIG DREAMS. HIGH HOPES. TREMENDOUS IMPACT.
Our Growth & Development 2015 Owner of the Year Misty Lee Hudson with sons Mason & Hudson This brand enables me to be in my own element and truly be who I am. A volunteer, a servant, a mentor and a leader of an amazing brand! The Chick allows me to take my children to school, work and pick them up at 3pm. It fulfills my needs as a mother and an owner. Chicken Salad Chick is attractive to owners, developers and landlords because of its streamlined and simple operation, lack of fryers and vents, and a unique dining experience. The concept is supported by local and brand wide marketing to create awareness and store traffic. Our owners are trained in community marketing which includes on-site marketing events as well as off-premise catering. In 2015, Chicken Salad Chick received an investment from Eagle Merchant Partners, an Atlanta, Georgia private equity firm. This investment from Eagle continues to provide capital to fuel growth by further building out the management team, systems and infrastructure while also supporting new units. We seek relationships and partnerships that will Restaurants Open help facilitate our rapid expansion plan. 60 We began in 2013 with 3 locations. Now, with over 60 restaurants open, Chicken Salad Chick is growing at a pace of 30 to 40 locations annually. Now is the time to invest with The Chick! 3 2013 2014 2015 2016 6,043% Growth Rate since 2012!
Our Guests While our concept appeals to everyone who loves chicken salad, women are our primary customer target. Of our most loyal guests, a large percentage are female with an average age of 45 and 42% of those guests have children under 18 years old in the home. They are also college educated with a household median income of $60K+. According to CravingCredits, Chicken Salad Chick s proprietary guest loyalty program, 13% of our most loyal guests dine with us 1 or more times per week, with another 28% dining at least once per month. Spread Joy. Enrich Lives. Serve Others.
Our Site Requirements Ideal size is 2,600 to 2,800 square feet, with a minimum of 35 feet of frontage Drive-thru when possible, accommodating a vehicle queue of 6 to 8 vehicles In-line Space End-cap strongly preferred. Will consider freestanding outparcel buildings, a portion of a multi-tenant outparcel building, and in-line space Patio is desirable (minimum of 250 square feet), along with accommodations for an exterior 10 x12 walk-in cooler on an 11 x13 pad in rear of premises 14 feet interior minimum structure height Unobstructed visibility, from main traffic arteries and corridors 40 parking spaces required for guests and employees Minimum traffic amount of 30,000 vehicles per day Signage on maximum number of building sides, along with representation on existing (or future) multi-tenant monument and/or pylon signs
Our Target Areas & Demographics Our Original Location We are seeking vibrant retail areas and shopping centers with strong everyday traffic, anchored by grocers, big box and other retailers attracting high-middle to high income consumers (particularly females). High daytime population is beneficial, through high concentrations of office, hospitals, universities and similar lunch traffic generators. High daytime population also provides catering opportunities. Requires a strong residential base with easy access to predominant retail and restaurant concentration. We target a 3 mile population of 50,000 or more (or 10 minute drive time). Our preferred guest has a household median income of over $60,000.
Our Owners A word from the Paslawski s Our obsession with the Chick started the day my husband brought pounds of chicken salad to supplement a family event. It was such a huge hit that we asked to spend time with the owners of a local store to gain more insight. Every step of our journey brought us closer to making our entrepreneurial dreams come true as we engaged with an incredibly supportive group of individuals. From store managers, to franchise owners, then eventually the founders (Stacy and Kevin Brown). As owners of two locations in Savannah, the Chick has been a wild ride. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience and we have plans to continue our growth with Chicken Salad Chick. We have met some fascinating people and have found a sense a pride that only entrepreneurship can give you. Also, the Chicken Salad Chick team has become family to us and they are so supportive to our goals and our operations. - Tim & Kelly Paslawski
Our Owners Q&A with Julie North What led you to the brand? I was one of the fortunate ones to be able to see this concept develop from the very beginning. I was there to see Kevin and Stacy take this incredible journey, and had an up close view of what it has taken to make Chicken Salad Chick what it is today. Before becoming a franchise owner, I worked as an ER nurse for 12 years. It was actually my ER family that gave me the confidence that CSC would do well here in South Georgia. I would travel to Auburn to pick up orders for them, bringing back no less than 60 to 70 pounds per visit. There was also a group that would also pay twenty dollars a pound to have it shipped over night when I couldn t make the trip. Seeing their excitement and love for CSC definitely made me realize I wasn t biased, Stacy really had made the perfect chicken salad. Having seen the frenzy and passion for this product for myself, I knew I wanted to bring it closer to home for others to experience. How The Chick has changed your life? My journey with Chicken Salad Chick has been nothing short of amazing! Even though I made a drastic change in careers, I am still able to do what I love, help and serve others in ways I never thought possible. Chicken Salad Chick s motto is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others. Getting to live by this motto everyday with our loyal guests, our incredible team members, and the amazing community of Valdosta, GA has been such a blessing and why I absolutely love what I do. Living this motto has also been such a positive influence on my family as well. It s a great feeling when you can experience the power of giving as a family. What are your future goals with the brand? Happy customers, amazing products, and outstanding service are three goals I work towards every day. This also comes with the daily goal of fostering a strong culture among my team and helping them grow both personally and professionally. My future goals are to develop more areas of opportunity to support my community, increase brand awareness, and to develop this brand further in my area.
Our Development Tremendous Room to Grow! Franchise Opportunities Available Coming Soon! No Opportunities Available
Your Opportunity We are currently seeking out owner/operators with the following skill set: A background in the restaurant industry is preferred, or a lead operator that has restaurant experience and will have equity in the business. Experience in managing a team of employees. Possess high energy and passion for the brand to market the product successfully. Must have a local connection with the community you reside in. Franchise Requirements Minimum liquid assets: $150,000 Minimum net worth: $600,000 Initial investment:$439,500-$604,500 (not including tenant improvement funds) Franchise Fee: $50,000 and a $10,000 grand opening marketing fee for the first restaurant. $45,000 and a $10,000 grand opening marketing fee for each additional restaurant. ($20,000 non-refundable deposit due upon signing the Area Development Agreement and $25,000, plus a $10,000 grand opening marketing fee, due upon execution of the franchise agreement for each additional restaurant) Royalty & Marketing Fees: 5% Royalty, 2% National Advertising, & 1% Local Marketing (minimum) Term of Franchise Agreement: 10 years with (3) 10 year options (if you meet renewal requirements) Our Training 2 Week Training Program Position Certification Project Based Shift Management Project Based Leadership Development Classroom Development: Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, New Restaurant Opening #37 on Inc. 5000 s Fastest Growing Private Company List - 2016 # 39 on Fast Casual Magazine s Top 100 Movers & Shakers - 2015 Top Chicken Salad to Try, Paula Deen Magazine - 2015 Nation s Restaurant News Breakout Brand - 2015 Restaurateur of the Year, Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance - 2015 Chick Accolades
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Carrie Evans, Director of Franchise Development 214-733-0048 franchising@chickensaladchick.com Learn More at www.chickensaladchick.com Our franchise is SBA approved and a member of the Franchise Registry.