Chicken Salad Chick, the fast-casual concept, plans to relocate its headquarters from Auburn, Ala., to Atlanta, the company confirmed this week.
The move for the company, which was founded in Auburn in 2008, is scheduled for completion later in the first quarter.
“This relocation positions Chicken Salad Chick to scale at an accelerated rate and meet aggressive growth goals, while allowing us to broaden our vision for the future,” said Scott Deviney, Chicken Salad Chick president and CEO, in a statement.
Chicken Salad Chick has more than 175 restaurants in 17 states.
“We’ve seen increased interest from Atlanta’s diverse and talented workforce, and the city’s airport allows us swift access to prospective vendors and a growing pool of interested franchisees,” Deviney said.
Chicken Salad Chick hired nearly a dozen corporate positions in Atlanta throughout 2020 that will manage and support the rapid growth of the brand throughout the Southeast and Midwest.
Chicken Salad Chick last summer promoted three Atlanta-based executives to its C-suite, including Jim Thompson as chief operating officer, Terry McKee as chief development officer and Tom Carr as chief marketing officer.
More recently, the company noted, several Atlanta residents were named to corporate positions, including Marianna Magee as director of marketing, Jon Musser as director of supply chain, Mary Lou Atkins as vice president of human resources and Kim Bolinger as director of operations.
The company’s new office will be in the Vinings at the Overlook II and house about 40 current and new employees. Chicken Salad Chick expects 17 Auburn-based corporate employees to transition to the new headquarters in metro-Atlanta through May 2021. The remaining 20 positions will be filled locally.
“Auburn will forever be the special place in which Chicken Salad Chick was created and its home for the past 13 years,” said Stacy Brown, who founded the brand with her late husband Kevin Brown. She remains a franchise owner as well.
“Moving the headquarters to Atlanta will support the company in achieving long-term growth as we work toward making Chicken Salad Chick better for the future while still allowing our local restaurant teams to provide the same welcoming experience our guests have come to know and love,” Brown said.
Georgia has 32 Chicken Salad Chick locations, the largest number of any state.
Los Angeles-based private-equity firm Brentwood Associates acquired a majority interest in SSRG Holdings LLC, owner of Chicken Salad Chick, in 2019.
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