Growing fast-casual Chicken Salad Chick purchased 11 existing locations in Georgia from the brand's largest franchise owner, Origin Development Group.
Chicken Salad Chick's corporate acquisition of these restaurants brings the company-owned unit count to 32. Chicken Salad Chick plans to open 40 additional locations in 2019, which will be a mix of company and franchisee owned. Today, the brand has 105 restaurants in 12 states.
Being “asset-light” has been a big trend among franchised brands for the last several years but that trend appears to be reversing. Applebee’s also recently took the step toward owning more of its units.