Franchising

Former Chicken Salad Chick employee becomes franchisee

Provided

July 29, 2021

Chicken Salad Chick has opened the doors to its 200th location under the direction of first-time franchise owner and former Chicken Salad Chick corporate employee, Allison Bradford, of 2B Continued LLC, according to a company press release.

Now one of the youngest franchise owners to join the brand, Bradford can remember dining at the first Chicken Salad Chick in 2008, while visiting Auburn. By the time Bradford attended Auburn University, she had established herself at the campus restaurant as a regular and ultimately became a marketing intern for the brand.

After graduation, Bradford joined Chicken Salad Chick as a corporate trainer and transitioned into a role as community marketing manager in 2017. Following her 6-year career with the brand, Bradford and her husband, Bo, are ready to make their mark as franchise owners in their hometown of LaGrange, with the support of Bo's parents, John and Nancy.

"It has been such an exciting and rewarding experience to be a part of the brand's growth from 40 locations to now being the business owner who opens the 200th restaurant," Allison Bradford said in the release. " As a corporate trainer, I worked closely with franchise owners to make their business ownership dreams a reality and formed meaningful connections working as a community marketing manager to build the brand's presence in each city.

"My experience as a corporate employee with Chicken Salad Chick has allowed me to see several sides of the business and understand the dedication and passion that is required to make a restaurant successful."

The 200th milestone follows a robust pipeline of development, with Chicken Salad Chick welcoming over 20 locations in the first half of 2021 alone and doubling its footprint in three years.

"When I became CEO of Chicken Salad Chick in 2015, the brand had 32 locations across six states," CEO Scott Deviney said in the release. "I am so incredibly proud to now celebrate our 200th opening, just six years later. Our hard-working franchise owners, company team members and support-center staff are dedicated to making the most of each guest's experience and are the true pillars of the brand.

"We always come back to our core values to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others, as we enter each new market. We're looking ahead to what the future holds for the brand and continuing to work toward our ultimate goal of celebrating the opening of 500 locations by 2025."

Founded in Auburn, Alabama, by Stacy and Kevin Brown, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick has grown to more than 200 restaurants in 17 states.