Sponsored By

Chicken Salad Chick to relocate headquarters to AtlantaChicken Salad Chick to relocate headquarters to Atlanta

Fast-casual brand was founded in Auburn, Ala., in 2008

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

February 10, 2021

2 Min Read
chicken salad chick moves headquarters Auburn Atlanta
Chicken Salad Chick plans to relocate its headquarters from Auburn, Ala., to Atlanta.Chicken Salad Chick

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.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

Read more about:

Chicken Salad Chick

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.