Dive Brief:
- Chicken Salad Chick has signed five development deals covering at least nine locations in five markets in the Midwest, according to a statement emailed to Restaurant Dive.
- Two of the deals are for multi-unit developments in Coralville, Iowa, and in Kansas City, Missouri. The lead units of those deals will open this fall. The other three agreements cover individual stores in Naperville and Lake County, Illinois, and Strongsville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.
- The brand said it is committed to aggressive franchising growth in the Midwest, and that Cleveland, Iowa and Kansas City are all new markets.
Dive Insight:
Chicken Salad Chick has grown its store base considerably this year. In the last seven weeks, the fast casual chain opened its first store in the Denver area; its thirteenth in Louisiana; and restaurants in South Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.
The chain’s footprint grew 13% in the last year, and its AUV recently reached $1.5 million, a record for the brand, according to the press release.
Chicken Salad Chick said the Midwest development deals showed a consumer appetite for its menu. Other fast casual competitors have also targeted the region for development. Sweetgreen’s openings in the upper Midwest have fared especially well and Cava’s entry to the Chicago market was its strongest-ever new market debut.
According to the press release, the franchisees working with Chicken Salad Chick on these deals are a mix of new and experienced foodservice leaders. Two operate other franchised foodservice concepts, while a third owns a doggy daycare franchise. The remaining two are first time franchisees.
In November, Chicken Salad Chick acquired Piece of Cake, a dessert concept, with the stated goal of adding cakes to its simple menu.
