Slim Chickens promotes Jackie Lobdell to VP of franchise development

Two director-level franchise development team members have been hired alongside this new promotion, to accelerate growth.

Slim Chickens, the chicken restaurant franchise with 100 locations open and a further 400 in development, has promoted Jackie Lobdell to the position of vice president of franchise development.

The brand has also created two entirely new roles alongside Lobdell and has hired Chris Wyland and Eric Brown to support Lobdell’s franchise growth strategy.

Since joining Slim Chickens in 2018, Lobdell has grown the brand’s development pipeline more than 40 per cent, and thanks to her leadership, the Slim Chickens is now well on its way to meeting its goal of 600 restaurants open over the next 10 years.

“We are ecstatic to continue expanding. Jackie’s promotion, alongside the introduction of these two experienced hires, will do just that,” said COO Sam Rothschild. “Jackie’s love of the brand, determination, and infectious attitude has been an integral part of what has fueled the growth of our franchise system. Now is the time to enhance our efforts to reach even higher levels. I can’t wait to see what her team accomplishes in the coming months.”

Prior to joining Slim Chickens, award-winning sales professional Lobdell served as a director of franchise development for FOCUS Brands, where she grew the McCallister’s Deli concept through multi-unit franchising; leading the brand’s footprint to grow to 400 units through multi-unit partners.

This growth is being mirrored by Slim Chickens, which has inked eight multi-unit agreements since February 2020, accounting for 49 new franchise restaurants. The new agreements are set to bring the brand to key U.S. markets, including Alabama, Dallas, and cities throughout Montana.

Looking ahead for this year, Slim Chickens plans to open a further 15 restaurants through December in markets including Florida, Maryland, and Washington.