ATLANTA Church’s Chicken is selling 36 company-operated restaurants in Georgia, Mississippi and Arizona as part of a re-franchising strategy.
The strategy calls for selling corporate stores in selected markets to franchisees as well as the acquisition by the franchisor of franchised outlets in key company-developed markets. The company has retained Atlanta-based Brookwood Advisors to assist in the acquisitions, which could include units of other chains that would then be converted to Church's outlets.
Scott Moffitt, vice president of franchise sales and development, said the move is one of several initiatives intended to fuel expansion and boost operating efficiencies. Typically re-franchising agreements involve the development of additional stores.
The largest re-franchising package, of 24 stores, was awarded to Aslam Khan of Midwest Hospitality, Inc. in Oakbrook, Ill. The stores are located in Atlanta, Macon and Albany, Ga.
Sacramento-based Tony Lutfi of Mar-Lu Arizona LLC purchased 10 company stores in the Tucson/Nogales, Ariz., market, and Joe Mauldin of Pine Belt Foods, Inc., in Laurel, Miss., purchased two company-owned stores in the Biloxi/Gulfport, Miss. market.
Church’s is also is exploring acquisition from its franchisees as well as from other restaurants for conversion into Church's Chicken. To that end, Church's and its franchisees operate 1,600 locations in 18 countries.