Big Chicken, the star-powered fast casual chicken concept, announced that David and Lorri Jones, multi-unit franchise owners of Big Chicken in the Pacific Northwest, were named as 2023 Franchisees of the Year by the International Franchise Association (IFA).
The Franchisee of the Year Award recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by Big Chicken, the Joneses were selected for their dedication to community engagement, innovative contributions to brand development and exemplary leadership within the franchise industry.
“Lorri and I are humbled to be recognized among such esteemed leaders in the franchise industry,” said David, who boasts an extensive 25-year background in franchising with multiple renowned restaurant brands. “When we first joined Big Chicken as franchisees, we were looking forward to bringing a star-powered brand, BIG flavor and BIG fun to our community. It’s been an incredible experience to be a part of the brand’s early growth over the past several years and we can’t wait to continue expanding Big Chicken’s presence in the Pacific Northwest.”
As two of Big Chicken’s first franchise owners, joining the brand in 2021, the Joneses have made substantial contributions to the Big Chicken franchise community and the brand as a whole. In addition to providing guidance and support to new franchise owners, the husband-and-wife duo plays a pivotal role in keeping Big Chicken at the forefront of the fast-casual restaurant industry by collaborating with the corporate team to introduce and test groundbreaking concepts and new technology. Beyond their commitment to advancing the brand, the Joneses are passionate about supporting their local communities, exemplified by their dedication to giving back to local schools like the Boys & Girls Club in Greater Seattle among other local organizations and their dedicated support of The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. The Joneses currently have Big Chicken locations open in Renton, Redmond and Mukilteo, Washington, and will be opening a fourth location in Shoreline this spring with more units in development across the region.
“A BIG congratulations to David and Lorri on their well-deserved recognition as Franchisees of the Year,” says CEO Josh Halpern. “As two of our first franchise owners, they have played a key role in the growth and development of our brand and we’re proud of their continued dedication to serving up BIG fun in the Pacific Northwest.”
Approximately 806,000 franchised businesses across the U.S. provide more than 8.7 million direct jobs and generate over $858 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.
With 350-plus locations in development nationwide for the brand, Big Chicken currently has locations open in Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Renton, Mukilteo and Redmond, Washington; Houston; Tannersville, Pennsylvania; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Clio, Michigan; Carson City, Nevada; Gilbert, Arizona; Rosemont, Illinois and in the Dayton, Ohio region, as well as in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, metro-New York’s UBS Arena, The Comcast Center in Philadelphia, The Moody Center in Austin, ASU’s Mullett Arena, Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Arizona’s Footprint Arena, Kansas City International Airport and on four Carnival Cruise ships.
