Daddy’s Chicken Shack is continuing to add to its East Coast nest with a newly signed regional development deal, aimed at further igniting growth across Florida. 

The brand recently announced its latest regional development deal, covering the west coastline of Florida and officially putting Daddy’s Chicken Shack at eight multi-unit deals signed in 2022. This agreement comes on the heels of a similar 10-unit deal slated for Houston, which was announced earlier this month. 

With tremendous growth on the horizon, Daddy’s Chicken Shack was able to capture the attention of Florida businessman Steven Nichols, whose agreement details 10 units across Tampa, Clearwater and Siesta Key. As the newest franchisee to join Daddy’s Chicken Shack, Nichols brings with him an impressive background in financial advisory services and medical sales. He remains involved in both business ventures, but is adding the restaurant concept to his portfolio with his fiancé, Jennifer Peterson. The pair is eager to make headway on their first location, with a goal to open by the summer of 2023. 

“I could tell immediately that this was the business venture I’d been waiting for. After doing my due diligence in researching not only the brand, but the founders and investors themselves, it was clear to me that this was a stellar opportunity to enter a high-value brand at the ground floor,” says Nichols. “I wanted my next investment to be something that I truly saw becoming a widespread success, so I’m thrilled with the traction and growth Daddy’s Chicken Shack has seen in just a few short months. I can speak for both Jennifer and I when I say we are honored to be joining such an established group of entrepreneurs, and we look forward to the months leading up to our opening.”

Nichols and Peterson will oversee the site selection and development of their first location, as well as secure additional franchisees for the remaining sites in their market. 

“We are ecstatic to have another multi-unit developer join us in Florida. The East Coast, and Florida in particular, has proven to be an amazing market for new dining concepts with limitless potential for growth,” says Pace Webb, who serves as CEO and leads the brand with Chris Georgalas, her husband and president of the brand. “Given the warm welcome we received with the opening of our Houston flagship location last month and the local buzz being generated on social media, we’re eager to keep this level of excitement going. Steven and Jennifer will be a fantastic culture fit for our team here at Daddy’s, and I look forward to being with them for many years to come.”

With an emphasis on its elevated, chef-driven menu and highly advanced, tech-enabled operations, Daddy’s Chicken Shack now has locations in development throughout Florida, Texas, Colorado, California, Georgia and Arizona. Under the direction of Dr. Ben Litalien, CFE who serves as Chief Development Officer for Daddy’s, these locations are a result of several regional developer teams within the Daddy’s system making up over 100 units. ”The Daddy’s Regional Developer model allows entrepreneurs like Steven and Jennifer to build a network of locations in a territory without having to invest all the capital,” says Litalien, “and they benefit from recurring revenues by supporting all the Daddy’s in their territory.” This chain of development deals was ignited by RE/MAX co-founder Dave Liniger, the majority investor in Daddy’s who is also a regional developer for markets in Phoenix and Denver. His first unit is currently under construction in Scottsdale and expected to open early next year.

Launching in 2018, Daddy’s business model is deeply entrenched in technology. A brand ahead of the curve with front-end technology, the restaurant was designed to facilitate online ordering, app engagement, in-store web-enabled tech, exclusive pick-up areas and third-party delivery partnerships. Plus, Georgalas’ vision included a dynamic backend technology suite that fosters real-time data to better serve customers, employees and vendors. 

With a regional development deal in place for Nichols, his immediate focus lies solely on the first location in Florida. From there, he will begin actively marketing the franchise opportunity to qualified individuals who will carry on the Daddy’s Chicken Shack growth.

Ideal franchise candidates have a desire to provide quality, fresh ingredients to customers along with the idea of leveraging an unforgettable experience in bringing people together. The brand aims to attract individuals and groups with previous restaurant experience and who resonate with the brand’s values of bringing sunshine to communities by honoring inclusivity, good food and a memorable guest experience.  
 

Emerging Concepts, Fast Casual, Franchising, Growth, News, Daddy's Chicken Shack