Start a Chicken Salad Chick Franchise in 2024

2024 Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Ranked #498 last year

Initial investment: $745K - $991K

Units as of 2023: 241 49.7% over 3 years

Chicken Salad Chick was founded in 2008 by Stacy Brown, a stay-at-home mom who made chicken salad to sell in her neighborhood. However pure her intentions, the local county health department restricted her from running the business from her home kitchen.

But she wasn't going to let that hold back the Chicken Salad Chick. After launching the first Chicken Salad Chick restaurant, it began franchising in 2012 and has grown to offer ove 115 franchised units across the U.S.

Why You May Want to Start a Chicken Salad Chick Franchise

The Chicken Salad Chick franchise is uniquely positioned; it is the only restaurant chain specializing in homemade, fresh chicken salad in a fast-casual space. Each of their restaurants offers a wide range of sandwiches, desserts, soups, and chicken salad made with fresh, quality ingredients. The company is committed to offering more than just a delicious meal in order to keep customers coming back.

This restaurant has invested a significant amount of time and resources into bringing a welcoming experience to each guest. You can attribute most of the company’s success to its goal of providing unmatched customer service and unique menu offerings. Over the years, they have developed and refined their systems to improve efficiency and productivity in all operations. What sets this restaurant concept apart from other chicken franchisesis its simple and proven business model. Being a franchise investor with the Chicken Salad Chick franchise could be a good experience for both you and the team you work with.

What Might Make a Chicken Salad Chick Franchise a Good Choice?

By making a franchise investment with this unique company, you gain access to many resources that could help you avoid most startups' struggles. Even the best entrepreneurs face their share of challenges when opening a new business. One of the perks of becoming a franchise owner with Chicken Salad Chick is that you will not have to build a customer base from scratch.

Over the years, the brand has become popular and brought committed customers back time and again. New franchisees may also benefit from the backing of a nationally recognized brand and support from a team of experienced professionals. To open a franchise, you should be prepared to pay a franchise fee and a grand opening fee. You should also have money available in liquid capital, and new franchisees can expect to pay startup costs, as well as ongoing fees that will include a royalty fee, advertising fee, and a potential renewal fee.

How Do You Start a Chicken Salad Chick Franchise?

Once you have decided to pursue opening a franchise with Chicken Salad Chick, you can start by evaluating your area for the perfect location. Chicken Salad Chick caters to families and individuals looking for healthier meal options. Keep that in mind as you open your franchise in an area that's accessible for your target audience.

Additionally, the company officials will likely ask you to submit financial documents for approval. You can also expect the franchisor to connect you with existing franchise owners so you can ask questions about their experiences. Before long, you could officially be a franchise owner with Chicken Salad Chick.

Company Overview

About Chicken Salad Chick

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Chicken, Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants
Founded	2008
Parent Company	Simply Southern Restaurant Group LLC
Leadership	Scott Deviney, President & CEO
Corporate Address	2839 Paces Ferry Rd. S.E., #500 Atlanta, GA 30339
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2012 (12 years)
# of employees at HQ	79
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	241 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Chicken Salad Chick franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$50,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$744,500 - $990,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$750,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Chicken Salad Chick has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	30 hours
Classroom Training	40 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes