With a large following in the southern U.S., the Checkers & Rally’s fast food chain has 875 locations nationwide but has yet to open in northern New England—so far.
“We are starting to lay out a program to open franchises in Boston, Manchester and Nashua, and work our way up,” says Bruce Kim, director of franchise development. “We get a lot of requests from transplants looking for us to come here.” The Florida-based chain, which offers burgers, fries and wings, competes on lower price points, he says.
Once they find their franchisees, the company will nail down locations and permitting. Kim says it should be about a year until the first stores open. The chain has been growing aggressively and has 76 new restaurants scheduled to open this year. Last year, it set a company record by opening 50 restaurants and is on pace to open 100 in 2019.
Kim says there are several factors that make the chain attractive to franchisees, including the fact that its restaurants are drive-thrus, which require a smaller footprint. Also, construction is faster as it is a modular building, which is built off site and delivered.
He expects the fact that this will be a new brand in the region will also be a draw. “Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonalds are great brands, but the market is saturated,” Kim says. “With us, this is a brand new opportunity.”
The average franchisee in the Checkers and Rally’s chain owns four stores, Kim says, but someone can start with one. Each store hires about 20 to 25 people.
For more information, visit checkers.com.
Current Issue - April 2024