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Charlamagne Tha Franchisee: The Latest Celeb to Enter Franchising Signs on to Open 6 Krystal Franchises in 2023
The radio host is the latest of many celebrities partnering with major franchises to leverage expertise, visibility and demand.
Another celebrity is adding "franchisee" to their resume.
The Breakfast Club co-host and television personality Charlamagne Tha God and his wife, Jessica Gadsden-McKelvey, will bring six Krystal franchises to the greater Charleston area in 2023. After filing for bankruptcy in 2020 and shaking up its executive board, the tiny-burger restaurant is leveraging celebrity influence to mount a comeback. Having been a fan of the chain since childhood, Charlamagne is ready to expand Krystal’s brand in the Lowcountry.
"Having grown up in the South, the Krystal brand is an icon for the region," said Charlamagne in a press release. "I'm excited and honored to be joining forces with them to bring their unique menu to more communities and to help showcase the brand to more audiences."
The Krystal locations will be co-branded with Charlamagne to craft a “customized experience,” according to the press release.
"We are ecstatic to partner with Charlamagne and expand our footprint nationwide. Charlamagne pushes the envelope nationally by spotlighting important topics in society," said Jonathan Childs, chairman of Krystal Restaurants. “At Krystal, we expand the boundaries of QSR with innovative partnerships, marketing, menu and real estate. We look forward to continuing to do so with Charlamagne.”
This isn’t the brand’s first celebrity collaboration. In September, Krystal announced 2 Chainz as the brand’s head of creative marketing. Victor Cruz, Brittany Renner, and Ray J have also been involved with the brand’s various marketing initiatives.
“The Krystal restaurant brand is known for bringing quality ingredients and creativity to customers, and we are proud to be franchise owners and even prouder to be providing jobs for our folks by investing in our home state,” said Charlamagne.
Celebrity collaborations and endorsements are shown to be effective marketing strategies for creating buzz, and franchise brands are increasingly participating in the trend. Between the power of social media and celebrities’ enthusiastic fan bases, franchises have been able to accelerate their marketing with exceptional success.
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