# Slim Chickens

> Slim Chickens is a founder-led, Fayetteville, Arkansas fast-casual restaurant company that serves hand-breaded, cooked-to-order chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads, chicken and waffles, sides, shakes and jar desserts. Its broad menu, 14 signature sauces, Southern-hospitality service model, app-based loyalty program and flexible store formats differentiate it in a crowded chicken category. Growth is overwhelmingly franchise-led: the company reported more than 300 restaurants worldwide and roughly 1,000 signed development commitments entering 2026.

- **Founded:** 2003
- **Headquarters:** Fayetteville, United States
- **Founders:** Tom Gordon (Co-founder and CEO), Greg Smart (Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer)
- **Team size:** Approximately 2,500 employees listed on LinkedIn in 2026; the supplied company record reports about 2,600.
- **Products:** Chicken tenders and wings, Sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls, Chicken and waffles, Fourteen signature sauces, Delta sides, shakes and jar desserts
- **Notable:** Grew from one Fayetteville restaurant in 2003 to more than 300 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2024., Entered 2026 with about 1,000 signed units in development across domestic and international markets., Named QSR Magazine's Breakout Brand of 2021.

## Products & services

- **Chicken tenders and wings** — Hand-breaded tenders and cooked-to-order wings served as individual, combo, family and catering meals.
- **Sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls** — Chicken-based formats that reuse core kitchen ingredients while giving guests more choice across meals and dayparts.
- **Chicken and waffles** — A Southern-inspired signature pairing offered as a meal and used in seasonal promotions.
- **Fourteen signature sauces** — A range of house dipping sauces that supports customization and repeat visits.
- **Delta sides, shakes and jar desserts** — Sides including fries, slaw and mac and cheese, plus hand-spun shakes and layered desserts served in reusable-style jars.
- **Slimthusiast Rewards and mobile ordering** — App-based ordering, payment, offers and points, supported by segmented loyalty campaigns.
- **Catering and group meals** — Tender and wing trays, sides, salads, picnic packs and crowd-feeding packages for offices, schools, teams and events.
- **Franchise development and support** — Territory development, site selection, design and construction, training, marketing, operations and finance support for operators.
- **Spicy Tenders** — A proprietary seasoned breading platform introduced nationally after testing in Slim Chickens' Fayetteville R&D kitchen.

## Achievements

- Grew from one Fayetteville restaurant in 2003 to more than 300 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2024.
- Entered 2026 with about 1,000 signed units in development across domestic and international markets.
- Named QSR Magazine's Breakout Brand of 2021.
- Included in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers.
- Named among Fast & Serious' 40 Smartest Growing Brands for 2022.
- Reached approximately $569.8 million in reported systemwide sales in figures cited from the 2025 FDD.
- Reported franchise average unit volume of about $2.44 million in the 2025 FDD.
- Expanded into 32 U.S. states and international markets including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Turkey and the Philippines by 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — CMO Patrick Noone described how consumer panels and operational testing turned the 2025 Spicy Tenders launch into a permanent platform.
- **2026-06** — The company outlined a differentiation strategy based on menu breadth, flexible real estate and repeatable franchise systems.
- **2026-05** — Shakon Turner joined as vice president of domestic franchise growth; the company said it had opened 10 restaurants in 2026 to that point.
- **2026-04** — Slim Chickens said it had signed nearly 40 development agreements in January and was 96% franchised after signing 110 agreement deals in 2025.
- **2026-03** — President and COO Christina Vaughan set a more disciplined phase focused on labor, food costs, training, benchmarks and franchisee profitability.
- **2026-02** — Roper Foods signed a six-unit agreement that is expected to bring Slim Chickens into California, beginning in Sacramento County.
- **2026-01** — Slim Chickens extended its No Kid Hungry partnership with a national mobile-app download promotion.
- **2025-11** — The chain introduced its first nationwide Spicy Tenders platform, using a seasoning cooked into the breading.

## Links

- Website: https://slimchickens.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slim-chickens
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/slimchickens
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@slimchickens
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slimchickens
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slimchickens
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@slimchickens

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/slim-chickens
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14