---
title: "Chicken Salad Chick Reports Record Q1 Franchise Growth, Nearly 50% Increase Year Over Year"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/6cda0aae-a6c0-449f-9d91-2030bd953f54
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260420_chicken_salad_chick_reports_record_q1_franchise_growth_nearly_50_increase_y.html
category: "Chicken"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Chicken"
published: 2026-04-20T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T16:24:00.990Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1561758033-d89a9ad46330?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Chicken Salad Chick Reports Record Q1 Franchise Growth, Nearly 50% Increase Year Over Year

**TL;DR:** Chicken Salad Chick reported record Q1 franchise growth with 52 new restaurant awards, a nearly 50% increase year over year. The brand saw participation from multiple franchise groups, with seven new groups joining and two existing franchisees expanding through multi-unit agreements.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-04-20. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260420_chicken_salad_chick_reports_record_q1_franchise_growth_nearly_50_increase_y.html).*

## Story

The quarter included participation by multiple franchise groups, with seven new groups joining and two existing franchisees expanding through multi-unit agreements. This activity indicates ongoing engagement among multi-unit operators.

“This is a defining start to the year for our brand,” said Mark Verges, Vice President of Franchise Development at Chicken Salad Chick. “Nearly 50% year-over-year growth in Q1 speaks to the strength of our model, the quality of our franchise partners, and the increasing demand for a concept built on hospitality, simplicity, and strong unit-level economics.”

The event occurred after Chicken Salad Chick’s annual conference, recently held in Atlanta, where franchise partners and leadership gathered under the theme “Exceed Expectations.” The event focused on strategic alignment, learning sessions, and systemwide collaboration.

With extensive growth momentum and ongoing interest from operators, the brand is positioned to sustain its trajectory through 2026 while maintaining disciplined franchise partnerships. In 2025 the brand expanded its footprint, opening locations across multiple states. Ongoing investments in operational support and community engagement are part of these efforts, supporting franchisees in serving guests consistently and building local connections.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- unit expansion (topic)
- QSR (sector)
- franchise growth (topic)
- Chicken Salad Chick (company)
- q1 earnings (topic)
- multi-unit agreements (topic)
- Mark Verges (person)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260420_chicken_salad_chick_reports_record_q1_franchise_growth_nearly_50_increase_y.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/6cda0aae-a6c0-449f-9d91-2030bd953f54).