Slim Chickens, the Arkansas-based fast-casual restaurant with over 200 locations, is preparing to enter Jacksonville for the first time.
Franchisee Angelo Crowell, a former NFL linebacker who played for the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is getting ready to bring the restaurant to the area with his wife Kimberly, according to Jacksonville Daily Record. Once Crowell retired from the NFL, he and his wife founded Kalo Restaurant Group LLC, which owns 40 Jersey Mike’s locations in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, with more on the way. Now the husband-wife duo is looking to open 12 new Slim Chicken locations in Jacksonville.
The Crowells will debut Slim Chickens in the area in Glen Kernan Park, where they bought land on February 13. There is a 48.5-acre development currently under construction nearby and will include residential and retail uses. Following this site, the duo hopes to open 11 more locations in the area. There’s no exact timeline for these openings. Currently, the closest Slim Chickens to Jacksonville is Tallahassee, which is the Crowell’s first Slim Chickens location, as well as Kimberly Crowell’s hometown. The company currently has nine locations in Florida.
“Bringing on experienced operators like Angelo and Kim Crowell is huge for us, and we look forward to seeing their journey with the brand flourish with their first location and many more along the way throughout Florida,” Slim Chickens COO Sam Rothschild tells Jacksonville Daily Record.
Slim Chickens appears to be on a fast track to expand throughout the country. The self-proclaimed ‘better-chicken brand’ has more than 1,100 locations in development, according to QSR Magazine. Slim Chicken’s website currently lists eight new sites coming to Alabama, South Carolina, Iowa, New Mexico, Missouri, Minnesota, and North Carolina. When these locations open, customers can expect various chicken options, from wings and tenders to sandwiches and wraps. The restaurant also takes pride in its 17 housemade dipping sauces.
