From Good to Great: Perspective from Emerging Franchise, Slim Chickens

The restaurant industry is highly competitive -- few survive, and even fewer make it to 50 locations. For Greg Smart, who founded Slim Chickens in 2003 with Tom Gordon, he just knew that their concept would take off, and after seeing initial success, the two partners made the goal of reaching 600 locations.

“When we started Slim Chickens, we had the confidence right off the bat that we would be a multi-unit, super regional chain,” said Greg Smart, co-founder and chief brand officer of Slim Chickens. “The goal of hitting 600 locations came on several years after we opened up about ten restaurants.”

With more than 70 units open, and on the heels of signing a landmark franchise agreement with Boparan Restaurant Group, one of the UK’s fastest growing companies, to open 50 units throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, Slim Chickens is well on its way to achieving that goal. Despite the growth and massive success of Slim Chickens, Smart and Gordon and their team aren’t resting on their laurels.

“What I’m most proud of is the perseverance to get to where we are today,” said Smart. “Regardless of what the economic climate looks like, or what people said could or couldn’t be done, I’m proud of what Tom and I have been able to accomplish. But being an entrepreneur in a growth organization, you never feel like you’ve nailed it. Even with how much we’ve grown, I’m still waiting for that moment. We’re still grinding it out every single day.”

With every successful business comes obstacles and lessons, but Smart’s positive attitude doesn’t let him sweat the small stuff. For him, it’s all about putting in the hard work and not second guessing himself.

“Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, I feel good about everything we’ve done,” he said. “Of course I can look back and wish that I knew more about how restaurant capital works or the intricacies of the franchise model, but I also wonder if our lack of knowledge is what helped us learn and grow. Our lack of preconceived notions and refusal to rely on traditional growth methods helped us. Obstacles have come our way but we handled each as they came and learned from each one.”

For Slim Chickens, for every obstacle faced, there were many more exciting moments that overshadowed that hardship. Smart notes one significant moment its history: signing the agreement to welcome its very first franchisee to the system.

“For us, getting that first franchisee to buy into the system was a huge moment,” said Smart. “For someone to believe in us to entrust their investment and work with us on this brand we built from the ground up was a big moment for us.”

One of the franchise groups that followed in the footsteps of the pioneering franchisees is The Cain Holding Group, a group of experienced Panera Bread franchisees with sales of around $60 million. The group owns several Slim Chickens locations in Houston and has a goal of opening 20 or 25 more in the greater Houston metropolitan area.

"We could have chosen an already established franchise, but the territories were either expensive or unavailable. Slim Chickens is an emerging franchise. We chose them because of the potential within the Houston area,” said Charley Donaldson of The Cain Holding Group. “Plus, we love the product. The food is great. We eat there once a week, not just because we own them."

When it comes to franchising, Slim Chickens may have a lofty growth goal, but that doesn’t mean anyone can become a franchisee. While restaurant operating experience and a proven portfolio are certainly a factor, personality fit is the primary criterion that Slim Chickens uses when undergoing a rigorous interviewing process of new franchisees. In fact, the brand has turned away many candidates for that reason.

“The best advice I can give to anyone looking to franchise their business is to be selective when it comes to franchisees joining the system,” said Smart. “Franchisees are going to be with you for a long time and you’ll have to interact with them on a weekly basis. If your personalities don’t align, it will become a conflict. It’s no different than any other personal or professional relationship. Identify the right people on the front end to have a strong system and set yourself up for long-term success with your brand.”