As Chick N Max staffs for growth, restaurant industry veteran Tom Duhigg joins the executive team as senior vice president of operations.
“Tom is an experienced professional and we are grateful he has chosen to put his talents to work for our growing company. We’re restaurant people with a genuine love and appreciation for the magic that happens at the table—Tom fits right in,” says Max Sheets, president and CEO. “With the opening of the first two locations for the concept just this year, we are listening and fine-tuning right now and preparing for the future. Tom’s greatest strengths center on developing in-restaurant systems that reflect, and make repeatable, our company culture.”
The third Chick N Max location kicked-off construction this week. Also in Wichita, the restaurant will be the first on the city’s west side and the first with a drive-thru. In addition to the three restaurants, Chick N Max is building a commissary kitchen in central Wichita. A retail line of hot sauces and seasonings, also developed by the brand this year, are available for purchase in the restaurant and online.
“Tom brings decades of experience to our concept and is enthusiastic about our efforts to grow and expand. His expertise will initially help us implement online ordering, develop an official training program, and institute effective systems that ensure consistency across our growing system,” Sheets says. “We’re trying to do something big here and it requires advanced know-how. If you look at the team we’re building, it is clear that we are investing in the future.”
Max and Tom crossed paths during their time in association with Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Tom served as Director of Training, Operations and Development for HCI Hospitality, doing business as Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Cox Brothers BBQ, and Coco Bolos Wood Fired Grill. He previously spent 10 years with Mimi’s Café as Multi-unit Supervisor and New Store Opening Director after coming up through the ranks in regional and general manager rolls with Sizzler.
Chick N Max was founded in 2018 by restaurant industry veteran Max Sheets. With a career in restaurant development that spans more than three decades, Sheets conceptualized the brand with GHA Design Lab and assembled a team of culinary professionals to perfect the menu of chicken tenders, wings and smoked chicken. The country’s first Chick N Max landed in the heart of Wichita, Kansas—a metro area long known for ties to successful restaurant start-ups and entrepreneurial genius. Additional Wichita locations are in development and plans are underway for expansion in select markets across the country.
