Get information on our award winning concept
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Interested in buying a Slim Chickens franchise? Learn how it compares to Starbird, so you can choose the best opportunity for you.
The chicken fast-food industry is sizzling. The chicken sandwich ranked No. 2 in the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 annual list of hot food items and 22.27% of restaurants in theU.S. offer a fried chicken dish on their menu. If you’re interested in opening a restaurant with fried chicken as its focus, there’s no shortage of options.While KFC, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Chick-fil-A are ubiquitous contenders small regional chains are making their mark. Two rising stars in the fried chicken QSR category are Slim Chickens and Starbird. To get started, let’s take a look at a side-by-side comparison of the two brands.
*Source: Entrepreneur
Slim Chickens was founded by two childhood friends, Greg Smart and Tom Gordon, in Fayetteville,Arkansas. They started testing recipes in their garage and launched their first location in 2003. The Slim Chickens concept features a combination of“crave-able” food, a cool vibe, and Southern hospitality. The menu showcases fried chicken tenders, sandwiches, salads, wraps, chicken and waffles, chicken wings, sides, and 17 dipping sauces. Slim Chickens has more than 245 locations in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, with an additional 1,200 units underdevelopment.
A single, Slim Chickens franchise costs $1,628,900 to $4,389,000. But if you’re a new entrepreneur trying to get started in the restaurant industry, a SlimChickens franchise may not be the right choice. The chain is only interested in multi-unit operators. However, Starbird offers both single and multi-unit franchises to qualified candidates.
Starbird is a fast-food franchise founded in 2016 by Aaron Noveshen and his team at The Culinary Edge, a food and beverage consulting firm. Noveshen founded The Culinary Edge in 2002 after launching several successful restaurants. The Culinary Edge has worked with a wide array of restaurant clients, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar, Cracker Barrel OldCountry Store, Jack in the Box, and El Pollo Loco.
Our menu focuses on chicken nuggets, fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, and salads. The chicken we serve is antibiotic-free and hand-breaded in our blend of gluten-free flour and spices. Our Cali Bacon sandwich features fried chicken, our signature Star Sauce, thick-cut bacon, classic slaw, pickled red onions, and a soft round bun, and the Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad combines orange chicken, shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber, mandarin orange, wonton strips, green onion, cilantro, sesame seeds, and creamy sesame vinaigrette.
Our restaurants range from 2,000 to 2,400 square feet and focus on dine-in, takeout, delivery, and other digital ordering avenues. We debuted our franchising program in 2022 and have approximately 13 locations. Launching a single Starbird location requires an initial investment of $1,138,074 to$1,588,963. Average gross sales at five locations in 2022 were $4,175,616.*
Being part of an emerging chain can be a strategic move for entrepreneurs looking to enter the fast-food industry. It offers several benefits for a spiring franchisees:
● Growth opportunities: Emerging chains often have ambitious expansion plans, which can translate into more growth opportunities for franchisees. As the brand expands, so do your chances of securing prime locations and increasing your revenue potential.
● Strong support: Emerging chains are motivated to succeed. They typically provide extensive training, ongoing support, and a close-knit community of franchisees to help you navigate the challenges of running your business.
● Potential for rapid growth: If the emerging chain experiences rapid success and recognition, your investment can grow substantially in value over time, potentially leading to significant returns onyour initial investment.
If you’re ready to build a future in the fast-food industry, Starbird is an emerging opportunity focused on high-quality food and growth. Get started to learn more about partnering with us.
*This is a historical representation of what some of Starbird franchised agencies earned, as described further in Item 19 of the FDD.
*The sales and investment data that we provide in this letter is taken from our May 23, 2023 franchise disclosure document. The data is an average of our four company-owned restaurants open for all of 2022. Please refer to Item 7 and Item 19 of our FDD for additional details including costs that you will likely incur. These data are not meant to suggest your actual or potential sales and profit levels. Actual results vary and there is no assurance that you will meet or exceed the metrics noted in this letter or related documents. This brochure is not an offer to sell, nor is it the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. Please refer to our FDD for details on our franchise offering.