Slim Chickens expands in the South West

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) is expanding the Slim Chickens brand in the South West with a franchise agreement to roll out the US concept in the region. The company signed a deal with KK Restaurants SW, an established operator who has worked with brands including Costa Coffee and Pizza Hut Delivery.

The first restaurant of an initial five outlets will open in Exeter next month and is thought to be a conversion of the existing Giraffe site in the city.

Judd Williams, BRG’s franchise director, said: “We are pleased to have secured a franchise partner as experienced as KK Restaurants SW. This supports our ambitious growth plans to roll-out the Slim Chickens brand across the UK.”

Simon Wright of KK Restaurants SW added: “Slim Chickens is a scalable brand with bags of potential and we are delighted to be partnering with BRG to bring better chicken to customers in the south west.”

Last month, BRG acquired the majority of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen business in a deal worth in excess of £5m.

The Slim Chickens brand currently operates more than 100 restaurants in the US. It was founded by Tom Gordon and Greg Smart in 2003.