Chester's

Chester's, which was founded in 1952, is a quick-serve restaurant that sells fresh, never frozen, marinated chicken that's double-breaded and fried using a secret, family recipe. There are over 1,300 locations in convenience stores, truck stops, and supermarkets. After more than 50 years of business, Chester's may know how to fry with love and is happy to share what they do.

Though they may sell fried chicken nowadays, Chester's started in 1952 frying doughnuts. Since the shift in product offerings, the company operated strictly as a corporate-owned entity before branching out to franchising in 2004.

Why You May Want to Open a Chester's Franchise

Chester's sells a simple menu of bone-in chicken, chicken tenders, and biscuits. For sides, you may get classics like potato wedges and mashed potatoes and gravy. In 2019, they introduced their new chicken sandwich. They also serve fried chicken livers and gizzards.

When you open a Chester's franchise, you may become part of a company that believes in a winning attitude. No one is above a job, and most work and win as a team. They are also committed to open and honest communication, encouraging that everyone do the right thing, even if no one is watching. And though they emphasize that hard work is the right kind of work, Chester's strives to foster a fun atmosphere.

As a franchisee, you have access to a Chester's representative that might help you prepare for your grand opening with extensive training and support services. They generally teach you how to minimize waste, calculate margins, upsell, and, of course, how to fry their chicken the right way.

What Might Make a Chester's Franchise a Good Choice?

Between their commitment to loyal customers and different options to drive sales home, Chester's has been ranked in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 many times in the past several years. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

A business that updates procedures, standards, and menus may be more likely to survive changing economies than ones that do not. Chester's loves to explore new ideas and listens to suggestions that come in. Keeping customers engaged with the brand through social media and giveaways also might ensure steady clientele. With exciting promotions that highlight new, featured items as well as old favorites, you may draw in customers with quality food.

How To Open a Chester's Franchise

To be part of the Chester's team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. If you need help funding your startup or covering equipment costs, Chester's might offer third-party financing options to help cover the franchise fee, startup cost, and equipment.

If you wish to open up a Chester's franchise, you may have to fill out the basic inquiry form. If approved, you may expect to go through a few dozen hours of hands-on training and about an additional few hours of classroom training. You may also need to hire about a few staff members to operate your location. As you move forward with your location, franchisees have three different franchise location options to choose from: store-in-store, express, and supermarket.