The southern fast casual chain is set to add at least 20 corporate locations and finalize leases in new markets
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, the nation’s fastest-growing biscuits and fried chicken concept, is slated for record expansion following another year of franchisee success. With plans for at least 20 new corporate locations currently under development, Rise will aim to more than double its current footprint.
According to the latest franchise disclosure documents (FDD) based on data collected from Rise’s 13 franchised locations, the average franchisee gross revenue totaled $801,477* in 2021. Rise has benefitted greatly from its employee-friendly labor model and the installation of its state-of-the-art heated locker system. Between Rise’s three corporate locations across Carrboro and Durham, North Carolina, the average labor cost percentage amounted to less than 19% of sales. Additionally, each of the three stores kept food costs below 30% of sales, dipping as low as 27.55% at the Carrboro location.
“People have always been at the core of our vision, which is why we’re continuously looking for new ways to make Rise a destination for employees and franchisees,” said Ken Priest, Chief Financial Officer of Rise. “Our brand’s year-over-year success and increasing expansion efforts serve as a testament to our people and our principles.”
While Rise has most recently opened the doors to another storefront in its home state of North Carolina, the chain has enjoyed a nationwide expansion push dating back to last year. The concept has gained popularity in new territories, signing a multi-unit deal for Orlando, Florida, while also inking its first California lease in Thousand Oaks. Additional lease agreements are on the horizon for several existing franchisees across midwestern, northeastern and southeastern markets.
In conjunction with Rise’s countrywide growth, the brand recently launched its Rise Rewards mobile app. Through the app, biscuit lovers can easily sign up for Rise’s all-new loyalty program, which allows members to earn points and redeem them for free biscuits, chicken, donuts and more. The new Rise Rewards app is available for download in the both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Recently named to Fast Casual’s 2022 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, Rise is partnered with Fransmart, the industry-leading franchise development company behind household brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and The Halal Guys, as its exclusive franchising partner to grow the brand.
“Each year, I find myself more and more impressed by Rise’s FDD statistics,” said Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart. “It’s remarkable to see how the brand’s commitment to its people and constant desire to innovate are reflected in the bottom line. It should come as no surprise that Rise is growing exponentially.”
Rise is actively looking for experienced multi-unit foodservice operators to develop additional franchises in major markets across the United States. To learn more about Rise franchising opportunities, please visit https://fransmart.com/rise-biscuits-chicken.
*The numbers illustrate the total Gross Revenue generated by the Franchisee-Owned Restaurants during the Applicable Measurement Period (Jan. 2021 to Dec. 2021), as stated in Item 19 of the Rise Disclosure Document dated April 20, 2022. “Gross Revenues” mean all revenues the Restaurant generates from all business conducted at or from its location including amounts received from the sale and delivery of food items, services, products, merchandise, and tangible property of any nature whatsoever, including proceeds from business interruption insurance, whether in cash or for credit, and whether collected or uncollected. Gross Revenues, however, does not include the amount of any applicable sales tax imposed by any federal, state, municipal or other governmental authority if such taxes are stated separately when the customer is charged and the Restaurant pays such amounts as and when due to the appropriate taxing authority. Also, excluded from Gross Revenues are: (i) the amounts of any documented refunds, chargebacks, credits and allowances given to customers in good faith pursuant to our standard procedures for issuing such refunds; and (ii) tip income and tip expense.
Rise was founded in 2012 by Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, Tom Ferguson. Described as a mixture of ‘old school, new school and our school,’ Rise serves up unique chicken sandwiches, biscuit and donut offerings and is constantly rotating in new features to keep the menu fresh and intriguing. Rise’s innovative concept and expansive growth earned the brand the #22 spot on Fast Casual’s 2021 ‘Top 100 Movers & Shakers’ list and was also ranked as one of ‘The Best Biscuits In The U.S.’ by Food & Wine Magazine. Rise currently operates 16 locations in six states, with over 100 units in development in major U.S. media markets. For more information, visit https://risebiscuitschicken.com.
As the leading franchise development firm in the country, Fransmart turns emerging restaurant concepts into successful national and global brands. Founded by Dan Rowe, the man who identified and grew brands such as Five Guys Burgers & Fries and QDOBA Mexican Grill from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today, Fransmart’s formula for success is finding emerging brands ripe for expansion and building successful multi-unit franchise businesses across the U.S. and globally. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated 1-billion in revenue to date. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com, Facebook at facebook.com/fransmart, Twitter at twitter.com/FransmartSocial, LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fransmart and Instagram at instagram.com/fransmartsocial.
