Checkers & Rally's is Taking its Established Brand from Sea to Shining Sea

Lots of franchise professionals like to bandy the word “growth” around. And who can blame them? Growth implies success, and success attracts franchisees.

But much fewer can hit you with the hard numbers off the top of their head. Jennifer Durham, vice president of franchise development at Checkers & Rally’s, is one of those few.

“Last year we opened 25 franchise locations and 10 company locations,” she said. “This year our plan is to open between 40 and 50 restaurants.”

This is in addition to the brands’ 470 franchised restaurants open today. And while Durham is excited about the new franchisees coming on board, as well as the existing franchisees looking to expand, she highlighted why her company also keeps corporate-owned stores as part of the equation.

“As a company, we own and operate 40 percent of our system,” she continued. “It’s a point of differentiation from many other franchisors. We believe philosophically that it is important to have skin in the game, and believe our leadership is focused because we eat, sleep and breathe restaurant profitability every single day. We can’t be great leaders without truly understanding the impact of each decision on the bottom line which ultimately impacts each of our franchisees.”

Durham said the company has opened seven new restaurants in 2015 so far, with many more planned for the warmer months of the year.

“We tend to open more restaurants in the summer and fall compared to spring and winter,” she said. “Our cadence is to open most restaurants in the third and fourth quarters. In fact, last year, 12 of the 25 franchise locations opened were in the fourth quarter.”

What’s more, Checkers & Rally’s is looking to extend its reach from coast to coast, with primary growth markets in Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Franchisees will also find opportunities to join the Checkers & Rally’s family in Baton Rouge, Tampa, Orlando, Charlotte, Raleigh, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

“We work to identify the right franchisees and align them with the right opportunities,” Durham said. “Once approved, a real estate manager is assigned to each franchisee to identify the right site and to guide franchisees through the development of their restaurant dreams.

The word “dream” is appropriate, as for many people, owning their own business is a vital part of The American Dream. That’s why Checkers & Rally’s has overhauled its development processes to support franchisees in the selection and construction of their site in order to get their doors open as quickly as possible. From site approval to grand opening, franchisees only have to contend with a nine to 10-month wait process.

For Checkers & Rally’s, growth isn’t a goal – it’s a reality. The only question now is which franchisees will strike while the iron is hot and which ones will find themselves with a major case of “woulda, coulda, shoulda.”