Slim Chickens is looking to bring its menu to the West Coast with new multi-unit deals.
Article HighlightsFranchisees Yasir and Aleeza Nadeem operate several Denny’s restaurants in Southern California and will next develop a trio of Slim Chickens restaurants in communities north of Los Angeles.Earlier this year, Slim Chickens, which has nearly 300 units, signed a deal with existing franchisee Roper Foods to open six locations in Northern California.
Yasir Nadeem knows his way around commercial kitchens—and Southern California.
Yasir and Aleeza Nadeem are expanding their restaurant portfolio, adding Slim Chickens alongside their Denny’s operation.
For Slim Chickens, that experience made him a prime candidate to help the brand enter the Golden State and expand in and around Los Angeles. Just a few months after signing a six-unit agreement for Northern California, the chicken concept inked a deal with Nadeem for three locations, in Lancaster, Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
Nadeem and wife Aleeza, also Denny’s franchisees who own one restaurant and are operating partners in two others, were drawn to the chicken category as they looked to diversify their portfolio.
“It’s all about supply and demand,” Nadeem said. “We have four kids at home who all want to eat at chicken places, and we wanted something that would compensate that. With Slim Chickens, we really liked the quality of the food, and as we got to know the leadership team, we became very comfortable with the direction of the company.”
For Nadeem, the deal with Slim Chickens is his latest move in a restaurant career spanning more than 30 years. His hospitality origins go back to when he was 17 and worked as a busboy. In the decades since, he’s held roles ranging from server, to manager and now owner.
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Founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2003, Slim Chickens has grown to nearly 300 locations across 32 states, along with the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. As the concept looks toward additional growth, Chief Development Officer Matt Green said the latest deal is key for a westward push.
“For all intents and purposes, California is a wonderful market with a robust population and incredible food scene,” Green said. “We see this as an important opportunity to introduce the brand to a new group of guests, and the two of them bring decades of restaurant experience. That helps us really get inside of the local market, introduce a brand to a new area and help extend beyond that.”
In a bid to incentivize development, the brand also recently launched its Restaurant Development Fund Program, which provides qualifying new and existing franchisees with cash investment payments of up to $200,000. The program prioritizes inline or endcap restaurants.
Slim Chickens Chief Development Officer Matt Green says California is ripe for the brand’s expansion.
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Nadeem expects his first location to open next year, and he’s confident the quality of the product will attract plenty of guests. But the real real selling point to earn customer loyalty, he said, is the brand’s embedded Southern hospitality.
“That’s the No. 1 thing for us,” Nadeem said. “We’re big on customer service. It’s at the top because you can have a good brand and good product, but if you don’t have good customer service built in, you won’t be able to survive.”
Nadeem is already looking beyond the initial three-unit commitment and said he plans to open more locations elsewhere in Southern California. Successful growth, he noted, will come through building the right team.
“It’s having the right leadership from the top, with the general managers to the employee level,” Nadeem said. “It’s important to have a good system, but if you don’t have the right system, you’ll struggle. That’s what it’s come down to in my 30 years.”
Dining and Cooking