Slim Chickens started franchising in 2013. Between 2019 and 2021, the brand had $265 million in system sales and 150 locations.
It's good to be financially stable after a decade of struggle. That's helped us do a lot for our company and franchisees.
Slim Chickens is expanding nationwide, although most of its restaurants are in the South. The chain opened 20 additional outlets and entered Florida in 2020 despite the epidemic.
Chicken Salad Chick's concentration on chicken salad has made it a standout in the fast food sector. The Auburn, Alabama-based firm has over 225 stores and expects to have 250+ by 2023.
Todd Graves' undergraduate business professor advised him it was a poor idea to open a chicken finger restaurant and gave him the lowest mark in the class.
Mr. Graves proved his professor wrong: Raising Cane's launched over 70 new locations in 2022 and aims to add over 100 more this year from New Mexico to NYC.
Raising Cane's serves chicken fingers, Texas toast, coleslaw, and crinkle-cut fries. In recent years, Raising Cane's has focused expansion after relying on its presence in the South.
Bojangles is a North Carolina cult favorite. After The Washington Post panned the brand in 2017, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis defended it on Twitter.
Bojangles is known for its biscuits and cajun chicken. "I don't know of anyone that has a better-tasting biscuit," CEO recently said. "It takes 49 steps to make our biscuit."
Bojangles has just over 800 outlets but plans to expand. The chain signed franchise development agreements for 32 new locations in New York, Maryland, Mississippi, and Tennessee earlier this year.