Church’s Texas Chicken Hadn’t Grown Its Store Count in 15 Years. Here’s Why That Just Changed.

CEO Roland Gonzalez says the chain “has really been on fire.” Now new investment will help keep the momentum going.

At the ripe old age of 74, Church’s Texas Chicken is hitting its stride. The chain finally grew its US store count last year for the first time since 2010, and sales, traffic and profitability are all up too, QSR reports. “It’s really been on fire the last few years,” said CEO Roland Gonzalez.

The turnaround comes down to sticking to what Church’s has always done best: leaning into cheap, generous meal deals, like a $5 Texas 2 Piece Feast that undercut rivals charging $6 or $7. It also brought back paper coupons and modernized its ordering tech and remodel program.

Now Church’s is getting a boost to keep the momentum going. It just landed a strategic equity investment from Golub Capital, aimed at accelerating restaurant remodels and opening new company-run locations in markets like Cleveland and Baltimore. The plan is to open a handful of Church’s in a new city, then hand the rest of the market off to franchisees to grow.