Slim Chickens franchise could be coming soon to region

“After researching Ohio markets for several years, we believe Slim Chickens will be a great fit,” said Dan McGrath, president of Big Star Chicken. “The brand has been a home run for us with its superior product quality, southern hospitality, facilities, and menu offerings. Slim Chickens is well positioned to compete with the best-in-class chicken brands in any market and I believe in the next 5-10 years Slim Chickens will be one of the highest-grossing top franchise offerings for investors.”

In early discussions, Big Star Chicken was planning to break ground on their first store in Columbus, McGrath said. Since then he has received a lot of sites available in Dayton, so either market could be a possibility for their first store. McGrath hopes to open the first store around 18 months from now and proceed to open a couple each year.

McGrath has nearly three decades of QSR (quick-service restaurant) experience with Dunkin Brands, Arby’s, Slim Chickens and several independent restaurant operators, the release said.

“We are thrilled to continue to see our name extended further in the South and Midwest region and cannot wait to see how Big Star Chicken continues to thrive with its stores in Texas and now in Ohio,” said Sam Rothschild, COO of Slim Chickens. “We are so thankful for operators like them who are dedicated to sharing our southern hospitality and cooked-to-order chicken tenders with more members of the community.”

Slim Chickens did have a restaurant location in the Cincinnati area, but that store has since closed. McGrath said his restaurant group was not involved in this store.

Slim Chickens opened its first store in 2003 in Fayetteville, Ark. The franchise offers dine-in and drive-thru service with food that’s cooked-to-order. The menu features chicken tenders, fresh salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, mac bowls, chicken wings and unique side items such as potato salad and fried okra. Slim Chickens also has 17 house-made dipping sauces including the slim sauce, cayenne ranch, gravy, Korean BBQ and sweet red chili.

The brand prides itself on its southern flair and commitment to hospitality, the release said.

Slim Chickens has experienced a 60 percent restaurant growth over the last two years and now has more than 250 locations across the United States and the United Kingdom.

“With more than 1,200 locations in development, the brand’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down,” the release said.

Big Star Chicken is looking for Director(s) of Operations, District Managers, Restaurant Managers, and teams in the Ohio markets. For more information on Slim Chickens, visit slimchickens.com.