How Slim Chickens’ ‘Fly Thru’ format fits into its broader growth strategy

Arkansas-based Slim Chickens pushed its way into the top 120 U.S. chains in 2025, finishing the year with 215 locations and $469.3 million in systemwide sales, according to Technomic.

That marked a 3.9% and 1.8% increase, respectively, in an increasingly intense chicken category.

Now the company is working to diversify its real estate formats to attract even more franchisees and facilitate even more growth. One of those formats is what it calls the “Fly-Thru,” or a drive-thru-only restaurant. Earlier this month, Slim Chickens opened its third Fly-Thru model, located in Ashland, Kentucky, following such openings in Gray, Georgia, and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The company said the Fly-Thru model reflects its broader development strategy focused on providing franchisees with more flexibility, while also meeting consumer demand for off-premises-driven convenience. For franchisees, the smaller format allows them to enter a wider range of trade areas and, ideally, build brand awareness in the process.

Vice President of Domestic Franchise Growth Shakon Turner said the company is actively evaluating additional real estate opportunities.

“We view the Fly-Thru format as a complement to our overall franchise growth strategy, enhancing convenience for guests, and increasing brand awareness, while adding to the range of flexible formats available to franchisees,” he said.

Slim Chickens has opened more than 10 locations so far in 2026, with additional commitments in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Central Florida. The chain is also expected to open in several California markets for the first time.

The Fly-Thru model is relatively new, and the company doesn’t yet have definitive plans on how big its footprint will become, but Chief Development Officer Matt Green said he is pleased with its early performance and guests’ response to the model so far.

“The format has also provided valuable operational and customer experience insights, allowing us to refine and improve the design and layout for future opportunities,” he said. “Overall, it has reinforced our belief that Fly-Thru can be a valuable addition to our development toolkit in the right markets.”

Several chains, including Zaxbys, have been adding drive-thru-only prototypes to their overall real estate portfolios of late to meet changing consumer demands, better fit into urban markets, and offer franchisees more development flexibility.