Experienced franchisee team set to bring the popular chicken and biscuits concept to the bustling Orlando Metro area
Rise Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken, the nation’s fastest-growing biscuits and fried chicken concept, today announced a multi-unit franchise deal to bring its award-winning southern comfort fare to Florida. Franchisee Don Schnurr, along with his family, are slated to open at least seven Rise locations in the Greater Orlando Metro area, the first of which will mark the brand’s debut in the Sunshine State.
“With the surge of interest in Southern dining around chicken and biscuits, the realities of post COVID to-go options and delivery, the dining trends of millennials and the great cult following that Rise has attracted from foodies, Rise checked all the boxes,” said Schnurr. “I was also very impressed with the management team, especially the passion and vision for Rise from founder Tom Ferguson.”
With over 27 years of experience operating more than a dozen different businesses, the Schnurr team recognized the value in operating a quick-service restaurant with a take-out ready model. The franchisees are currently eyeing a location for their first store, scouting territories ranging from Winter Garden to Celebration to The Mall at Millenia. Each of the Orlando area locations will feature a unique heated locker system, as well as a touchscreen ordering kiosk system, providing a digital kitchen experience for customers along with positive employee interaction.
“We’re thrilled to expand into the great state of Florida and share our Southern chicken and biscuits with Orlando,” said Ferguson. “We have great franchise partners in Don and his family, and we have full confidence that they will successfully grow the Rise brand in Florida.”
The Florida agreement builds on the nationwide expansion Rise enjoyed last fall when the brand announced the signing of its first California lease in Thousand Oaks. Outside of the Golden State, the Durham, North Carolina-based concept has most recently expanded to Virginia and Oklahoma, signing multi-unit deals in each state.
“We expect to grow the greater Orlando area to 20 locations over the next five years,” Schnurr said. “We have an aggressive growth plan in place, coupled with experienced operators and funding necessary to accomplish this growth.”
Named to QSR magazine’s 40/40 List for 2021: America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals, 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.
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.
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.
