HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. -- Champs Chicken--with more than 520 branded convenience store, supermarket and other retail food locations in 29 states--has unveiled its new franchise program, opening the first of such locations this week at Moser's Supermarket in Mexico, Mo.
"Moser's was our first licensed Champs Chicken location 15 years ago, and today, they are our first franchise partner," said CEO Shawn Burcham.
The Champs Chicken franchise model--a business-within-a-business operation that requires no upfront fees or on-going royalties--was formulated after Burcham and his team examined Champs Chicken's top-tier retailers around the country. The team found several similarities among its most successful, fastest-growing partners: the right equipment, quality advertising and a high level of commitment to their hot food program.
Champs Chicken will offer marketing development funds to franchisees to boost advertising and promotional efforts such as billboards, coupon mailings and takeout menus.
"We've been able to develop these corporate funded programs due to our continued growth and the efficiency created from our new national distribution center," Burcham said. "Further, we're accomplishing this while staying true to our approach of not charging our operators royalty fees."
Other key features of the Champs Chicken franchise program include dual digital menu boards with cloud-based technology, allowing for remote access to update prices and menu offerings and a touchscreen point-of-sale (POS) ordering system, enabling retailers to completely monitor inventory and sales.
"The biggest step up is the new POS system," Burcham said. "With this, retailers will receive real-time data and know exactly what's selling, which price promotions are working, and be better able to manage labor and waste. This system, coupled with the significant marketing development funds, will prove to make our independently-owned locations more profitable."
Using new technology was a strong selling point for Roger Moser, CEO of Moser's Supermarket. "You've got to keep up with the times," Moser said. "Plus, I knew Shawn would treat us right and that the Champs Chicken team would be here in full force."
Champs Chicken is a unit of Holts Summit, Mo.-based Pro Food Systems Inc.
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