Most franchises like to throw the word “growth” around. But far fewer can actually hit you with the hard numbers to back it up. Checkers & Rally’s is one of those few.
For more than 30 years, the brand’s proven track record for success has helped carry it to national ubiquity, and last year was no different—Checkers & Rally’s opened 37 new restaurants over the course of 12 months, breaking a 15-year-old record for new development. Today, the brand boasts more than 800 restaurants throughout the country. And yet, while plenty of companies might take a moment to coast on their accomplishments, Checkers still sees plenty of room to grow—that’s because while many big chains have already saturated some of the country’s largest and most important quick-service markets, Checkers is just getting started.
Now, Checkers is looking to extend its reach from coast to coast—from Washington D.C. to Chicago to Los Angeles, the brand is on the edge of significant expansion. To date, Checkers & Rally’s has 21 locations in Washington D.C., 20 locations in Chicago and 12 locations in Los Angeles. And according to Jennifer Durham, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Checkers & Rally’s, the brand has room to support hundreds more units in each of these key markets.
“With hundreds of locations available in new and major markets across the United States, there are countless opportunities for our brand to move forward,” Durham said. “The time is right to make our brand bigger and better in the years to come—customers keep telling us they love our food but need locations closer to them. We’re intent on bringing that to them. We’re excited to offer existing and new franchisees the opportunity to receive 50 percent royalty discount growth incentives.”
Checkers credits the brand’s strong growth to much more than a recognizable and striking brand presence. The chain’s availability in strong QSR markets; low initial investment; best-in-class returns; high franchisee satisfaction; and bold flavors at unbeatable value are all credited as key contributors to the dramatic uptick in growth.
But in particular, it’s Checkers' keen focus on restaurant profitability that puts them ahead of the curve. While other brands concentrate on increasing sales, Checkers puts an emphasis on its stores making money. And with more than 300 company-owned locations, it’s clear that the brand is strongly invested in their franchise family. The end result is a franchisee that’s happy, passionate and dedicated to growing the brand.
Startup costs for new franchisees include a $30,000 franchise fee per restaurant. The overall average initial investment is $443,301.
“At Checkers & Rally’s, our main goal has always been profitability. To make this a reality, we realized we had to focus on continued efforts to always improve—to always be a better version of ourselves. The impact of this dedication is seen in our numbers, as more and more franchisees are lining up to join our brand,” Durham said. “The fact that we own and operate restaurants alongside our franchisees aligns our values—our franchisees know that we’re right there with them. Ultimately, that’s what makes Checkers a desirable and rewarding choice for each of our franchisees.”
To learn more about franchising with Checkers & Rally’s, click here.