Franchising

Chick N Max launching franchise initiative

Provided

April 16, 2021

With three corporate-owned restaurants serving customers in Wichita, Kansas, Chick N Max is now franchising the concept and will double its footprint by the end of next year and open as many as five restaurants each year thereafter, according to a company press release.

"Within the restaurant industry, chicken is a long-standing and perennial favorite for customers and investors alike. That's because these days, consumer tastes continue to shift towards fresher and healthier alternatives to take the place of a burger," CEO and Founder Max Sheets said in a company press release. "Anchored by our innovative take on chicken, and an executive team that boasts more than 150 years of combined restaurant experience, we're perfectly positioned to differentiate ourselves in the thriving segment and look to the future with great enthusiasm."

No stranger to the restaurant industry, Sheets got his start as a teenager scraping cheese off pans in a Pizza Hut kitchen. In the early 2000s — after having spent 23 years in real estate and development for such brands as Lone Star Steakhouse and Salon, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Smashburger and Ted's Montana Grill — he began mulling over the idea of a franchise concept that would accommodate the ever-growing movement towards red meat alternatives. He conceptualized Chick N Max in 2017, assembled a team of culinary professionals to design the menu and opened his first restaurant in January 2018.

The menu
Customers may choose fried chicken tenders, almond-smoked wings and family meals, as well as nine chef-crafted chicken sandwiches, which are made from both Chick N Max's tenders and pulled smoked chicken. The chicken is smoked over almond wood, which produces a softer, sweeter flavor than other harsher woods historically used in restaurants like hickory, mesquite or white oak, Sheets said.

"The gentleness of the almond wood smoke imparts a subtle flavor that allows the chicken's authentic and rich flavors to come through without overpowering it," he said.

The chain is seeking franchise partners to help it grow throughout Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and the Southeast United States. Including a franchise fee of $35,000, the total investment to open a 1,800-2,400 square-foot unit ranges from $450,000 to $550,000. Each restaurant typically seats about 60-80 people and employs approximately 15-20 people, according to the release.