A Scoop of Southern Hospitality

In the south, people take their chicken salad very seriously. So when Chicken Salad Chick founder Stacy Brown first started tinkering with the southern staple in her kitchen, she expected some strong opinions. However, after refining and perfecting her recipes based on the feedback of neighbors and teachers at Ogletree Elementary School (you could call it Chicken Salad Chick’s very first focus group), it was evident that she had something special on her hands.

That was eight years ago, and after launching the business in 2008 and then later franchising the concept in 2012, the brand has grown to 60 restaurants throughout the southeast. Guests keep coming back for the unique variety of 15 different chicken salad selections (as well as frequent limited time offers) and Brown’s dream has become the go-to for chicken salad seekers across the south.

“Chicken Salad Chick is super unique - we're truly the only of our kind. But more than that, people are responding because we serve fantastic-tasting, high-quality, made-from-scratch food, and we take care of you as if you're a friend in our home,” said Ali Rauch, Director of Marketing for Chicken Salad Chick. “Great food and great service make for some incredibly loyal guests.” 

While the food has led to fanatical loyalty, franchisees are flocking to the concept, too. The company is growing by 30 to 40 locations each year, and it has already sold out in Alabama and South Carolina, and they are close to saturation in Georgia. This impressive expansion has helped land them in the 37^th spot on the Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing privately held companies.

But like their chicken salad recipes, their recipe for growth is also refined. The brand is focused on smart growth throughout the southeast before expanding northward. About 20 percent of all locations are corporate owned, while the other 80 percent are franchised – and the corporate team is very particular about the type of candidate they award a franchise to. They must fit their culture and understand the bigger purpose that Chicken Salad Chick represents.

“Our purpose is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others,” said Rauch. “When we select franchisees, we are careful to select those that not only believe but also live that purpose in their everyday lives. We also have a comprehensive training program and great story to tell that helps instill that service to our guests, but if the franchisees live it and breathe it, so will their team!” 

The growth has been rapid and impressive, but remaining true to the spirit that Brown instilled in the concept from the very early days in her kitchen has been the true generator of the brand’s success. Rauch believes that will propel the brand into the next decade of growth.

“It's so much bigger and better than she ever imagined. Her plan was truly to just deliver it door to door and make ends meet. To be where we are now, to have the impact that we have on people all over this country because of their connection to the Chick, it's unbelievable. In the next 10? We want to be America's favorite place for chicken salad, which means we'll hopefully have locations all over the country and the impact we can have on people will be even greater. It's really exciting to imagine,” said Rauch.