The City Wire: Friends, now business partners, find success with Slim Chickens

Tom Gordon and Greg Smart have been friends since they met in their hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, when they were 16 years old. From a young age, they both knew what they wanted to do with their lives. Those plans shifted and they became the founders of the popular “better chicken” fast casual franchise, Slim Chickens.

The first Slim Chickens opened in 2003 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

“It was a concept we felt was a need in this market,” Smart, chief marketing officer for Slim Chickens, told The City Wire.

Today, the Slim Chickens' brand has 23 locations and nine more planned this year, extending from Lubbock, Texas, to Lincoln, Nebraska, and Tennessee. to Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Franchising is the next wave of our growth,” Smart told The City Wire.

Two corporate stores are expected to open this year. In 2016, six corporate locations are expected to open and an additional 20 to 25 franchise stores. Slim Chickens looks for large scale developers and target those who are interested in opening five to 18 stores.

“We’re growing very fast,” Smart old The City Wire. “We’re the largest restaurant franchiser and the fastest growing chain in Arkansas. We’re glad to be based in Arkansas. It’s a good success story for us,” Gordon said.