TWO DOZEN NEW RESTAURANTS OPENED AND GROWTH IN THE MIDWEST FEEDS CHICKEN SALAD CHICK SUCCESS

Fast Casual Chicken Salad Brand Tops 225 Restaurants in 17 States; Continues Westward Expansion with Multi-Unit Development Agreements in Colorado, New Mexico

ATLANTA, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, continued to bring its gracious hospitality and fresh fare to new markets in 2022 with 24 restaurant openings, including a first-ever Chick for the Chicagoland area. This growth resulted in a 10% increase in unit count year-over-year. The fast-growing brand, which now tops 225 locations in 17 states, also signed 24 franchise agreements with both new and existing franchisees to develop 38 new restaurants over the next several years throughout states like Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.

In addition to this impressive growth, Chicken Salad Chick reported over $306.8 million in systemwide sales, a 20% increase over 2021 and grew to record-setting AUV. The company came out of Covid stonger than ever, with the last eight quarters of positive comps, resulting in positive comps in 24 of the last 28 quarters overall.

"I'm really proud of our teams for their continued focus on the mission and values that deliver a core Chicken Salad Chick experience and keep us on the path to becoming America's favorite place for chicken salad,"  said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "We plan to open 35 more restaurants this year in key markets across the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest regions. As always, we will stay true to our purpose with smart, disciplined growth that maximizes our operational efficiencies and allows us to serve fresh, made-from-scratch food to communities we genuinely care about."

Chicken Salad Chick restaurant teams work hard to serve their neighbors and guests, fundraising for local food banks and national nonprofit CURE Childhood Cancer through the brand's Giving Card promotion each year. Since 2017, the company has raised over $2.5 million through the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation. In 2022 alone, over $515,000 was collected through the annual Giving Card program and the newly introduced Cookies for a Cure promotion. An additional $200,000 was raised through the Foundation across local markets.

Other milestones and successes throughout the past year include:

• Implementation of the back-office food and labor cost management tool increased profitability and operational efficiency across all restaurants. A high number of Chicken Salad Chick restaurants operated at lower food and labor percentages than ever before. This was of critical importance in 2022 in the battle against significant inflation in cost of raw goods and labor wages.
  
  
• Development of a new toasted sandwich went into a 27-restaurant test. Over 90% of customers responded that they would definitely repurchase on their next visit. Sales for this new product have grown continuously in the test markets, resulting in the brand's decision to introduce it company wide in 2023.
  
  
• 2022 award recognitions included ranking #2 in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers and #7 on Franchise Times' Fast & Serious lists. The brand was once again among the prestigious Entrepreneur Franchise 500, as well as being named a Top Food Franchise, Fastest Growing Franchise, and Hottest Franchise by the outlet.
  
  
• Expansion westward with the addition of new franchises in New Mexico and breaking ground on the first Colorado location, which is slated to open by April 2023.
  
  
• Growth of Craving Credits loyalty program to 1.3 million members, which is doubled from 2019.

Chicken Salad Chick has franchise availabilities in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, where the brand currently operates, as well as throughout Midwest states such as Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. The company also recently opened Maryland, Delaware, Michigan and Wisconsin for franchise development and is actively seeking individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit who possess high energy and enthusiasm for the brand, marketing skills and the ability to manage a strong team. Restaurant experience is preferred. Interested candidates should have a minimum net worth of $750,000 and liquid assets of at least $250,000. Franchisees can expect the initial investment to be approximately $762,000 - $980,000 with a $50,000 initial franchise fee.

To learn more about ownership opportunities with Chicken Salad Chick, contact Carrie Evans, vice president of franchise development, at Carrie.Evans@chickensaladchick.com, call 214-733-0048 or visit https://www.chickensaladchick.com/franchising. For more information on the brand, visit https://www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

About Chicken Salad Chick
Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Founded in Auburn, Alabama, by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 225 restaurants in 17 states. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the brand is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in the 2023 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious for the third consecutive year, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers from 2018 to 2022, QSR's Best Franchise Deals in 2019, 2020 and 2022, and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

Contact:
Margo Williams
Fish Consulting
754-888–6308
mwilliams@fish-consulting.com

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SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick