— By Katie Lee — How Slim Chickens is not only surviving — but thriving — during COVID-19. During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Slim Chickens was able to turn on a dime: transforming its parking lots into dining rooms, boosting digital channels, investing in marketing and operations, as well as new safety protocols, and continuing to sell franchise locations — tallying almost 50 new units so far this year. While the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based fast-casual brand had to scale back its original 2020 development plans to open 30 …
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Fayetteville, Ark. — Slim Chickens, a leader in the “better chicken” segment of fast-casual restaurants, has enjoyed organic growth since taking the brand from co-founder Tom Gordon’s garage to its first location 2 miles from the University of Arkansas in 2003. Now, as Slim Chickens has grown to more than 75 locations in 14 states (as well as the United Kingdom and Kuwait), the brand has expanded its growth strategy to non-traditional locations.