Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s oldest fraternity established for college-educated African American men and Church’s Chicken™, one of the world’s largest quick-service chicken restaurant concepts, are taking on an historic initiative to stimulate economies in underserved communities by offering franchising opportunities to members of the fraternal organization.
Announced at Alpha Phi Alpha’s 2002 economic development conference in Las Vegas, this first-of-its-kind agreement calls for the development of 20 Church’s Chicken franchise restaurants over the next five years. The franchises initially are planned for the Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Cleveland, OH; Cincinnati, OH; and Columbus, OH metropolitan areas. Each location would be owned and operated by members and investment groups within the fraternity and the community at large.
“We have the power to make a difference in our individual communities,” stated Harry Johnson, Alpha Phi Alpha National President. “Through financial support, business training and education, coupled with the backing of the Small Business Administration (SBA), we will be offering individuals an opportunity to create jobs in areas in need of economic stimulation.”
The overall goal of Alpha Phi Alpha and Church’s Chicken is to identify persons possessing keen business acumen and quick-service restaurant experience and assist them by providing the training, development and other resources needed to open a successful restaurant franchise.
“We see this as a wonderful opportunity to deepen our involvement in the communities we serve,” said Hala Moddelmog, Church’s Chicken President. “Alpha Phi Alpha will be an important conduit for sourcing future franchise partners to Church’s and because of their long-standing tradition of leadership and excellence, I’m confident this partnership will be extraordinarily successful,” added Moddelmog.
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, Alpha Phi Alpha has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African-Americans and people of color around the world, through civil rights, educational enhancement and leadership by example. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for equal rights through leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois; Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Thurgood Marshall; Paul Robeson; and many others. True to its form as the “firsts of firsts,” Alpha Phi Alpha has been interracial since 1945.
Church’s Chicken, a division of AFC Enterprises, Inc. (NasdaqNM:AFCE – News), has more than 1,500 locations worldwide driving system-wide sales of approximately $900 million in 2001.
