by Tyler Hale
From starting in a founder’s garage to expanding to 100 restaurants in less than 20 years, Slim Chickens is a quintessential Arkansas success story. The Fayetteville-based company is preparing to hit a major milestone with the opening of its 100th location, right in Arkansas.
On Wednesday, Dec. 18, Slim Chickens will open its 100th store at 16105 Chenal Parkway in Little Rock. In an interview with Arkansas Money & Politics, CEO Tom Gordon says that this new restaurant, in addition to being an indicator of growth, is a sign of Slim Chickens’ permanency in the restaurant sector.
“In this industry, it’s a recognition point,” he says. “It is an important milestone that proves that you’re a legitimate player in the restaurant industry and signifies that you’ve arrived…”
It’s been a journey for Gordon and his fellow co-founder Slim Chickens Brand Officer Greg Smart. (Another co-founder Ryan Hodson left the company in 2012.) They started out developing recipes for fried chicken tenders and perfecting the dipping sauces. In 2003, they opened their first location, in a former sushi restaurant in Fayetteville.
Franchising has been critical to the restaurant’s growth. The company started franchising its restaurants in 2014, and today, there are 19 locations in Arkansas, as well as 81 restaurants spread across 14 states and around the world. The two international locations are in the United Kingdom and Kuwait. Gordon says this growth has been made possible by identifying the right brand partners and supporting them.
“People and partners are the most critical components. We’ve been very successful in identifying great franchise partners who have restaurant experience and want to choose an upcoming brand to be a part of,” Gordon says.
Slim Chickens isn’t planning to slow down any time soon. In fact, Gordon laid out the company’ expansion plan for the next decade: 600 restaurants in less than 10 years. While that expansion plan might sound rushed, Gordon insists Slim Chickens is approaching it with the same level of care and strategy that has enabled its meteoric growth since 2014.
“There’s a lot of white space left to us to expand. We’re not in a dramatic rush. We want to take our time, do things right and find some quality restaurants and high-quality franchisees, and then do a great job working with them,” he says. “We want the franchisees to tell everyone that we are the best, most supportive franchise in the world.”
When determining where to put its next stores, Slim Chickens executives are looking to expand on its existing successes. Rather than establish far-flung locations with limited support, the company aims to build on its brand recognition by steadily widening the circle that Slim Chickens operates in, with the epicenter being Arkansas.
“We want to attach current operating geography when possible. When we talk franchises, our first effort is to try to get them close to current markets where we can pioneer that territory. It makes sense to do it closer to an [established] market. The odds of success are better, the brand recognition’s better. We’ve continued to expand in those circles.”
That’s not to say that everything has been easy-going all the time. Gordon readily admits that the labor market can be challenging to navigate. He says that it’s a “constant battle” to field both restaurant employees and upper level executives.
However, it’s the brand and, of course, the food that keeps people coming back for more. Slim Chickens’ success, Gordon argues, is due to a promise that the restaurants have with its customers, and that promise is for excellence in food and service.
“People love us – we have great food. If you have the best food offering, you have to have the service and the brand, which we spent a lot of time on,” he says. “We tell our guys that we have to deliver on our promise – what we promise we have to deliver. So far, we’ve done a great job of doing that in terms of satisfying our guests in restaurants around the United States and around the world.”
With a recipe like Slims Chickens, this company will likely be opening many more restaurants in the years to come.
READ MORE: Playing Chicken: Fayetteville’s Slim Chickens Takes On the Big Boys
