Millennials and Gen Z Fuel New Franchise Growth at Chicken Salad Chick
HOSPITALITY
Emerging entrepreneurs are choosing brands with proven systems, strong culture, and meaningful community impact.
For decades, franchising was seen as the domain of seasoned business veterans, experienced operators with deep pockets and decades of corporate résumés behind them. That picture is changing fast. A new generation of entrepreneurs is stepping into franchise ownership earlier than ever, and brands like Chicken Salad Chick are finding themselves at the center of that shift.
As millennials and Gen Z look beyond traditional corporate paths, they're turning to franchising as a pathway to business ownership, community engagement, and long-term financial growth. And Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only fast-casual concept built entirely around chicken salad, is seeing this generational wave firsthand.
A Model Built for New Owners
Part of what draws younger operators to Chicken Salad Chick is how the franchise is structured. Franchisees receive guidance with site selection, restaurant build-out, marketing, and day-to-day operations, while also benefiting from a collaborative network of fellow owners. For someone stepping into business ownership for the first time, that scaffolding matters enormously, it reduces the guesswork without eliminating the entrepreneurial challenge.
Mark Verges, Vice President of Franchise Development at Chicken Salad Chick, puts it plainly: younger entrepreneurs want the independence of owning a business, but they also want a proven model and a brand they can genuinely stand behind. That combination of strong performance and authentic brand culture is what's drawing so much interest from millennial and Gen Z operators.
A Real-World Example
Devon Chamberlin, a millennial owner of a Chicken Salad Chick location in Northern Virginia, didn't come from a food service background. She entered franchising out of a desire to expand her impact beyond her career in the mental health field, seeking to own a business rooted in connection and community.
Chamberlin credits her generational perspective as a genuine business asset. Growing up in a digital-first environment makes it natural to lean into social media, online engagement, and local digital marketing to reach guests. She also sees parallels between her franchise team and her customer base, and uses that shared generational lens to build a workplace culture centered on flexibility, recognition, and growth.
Numbers That Back the Story
The brand's momentum isn't just anecdotal. In 2025, Chicken Salad Chick celebrated a record year, awarding nearly 100 new franchise restaurant deals and opening 42 locations across 13 states, with over 300 locations now in its development pipeline.
The accolades reflect the results. The brand has been named one of QSR Magazine's Best Franchise Deals for four consecutive years and ranked third in Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers. It also earned a spot on Franchise Times' Top 400 ranking.
The Bigger Picture
Research shows that millennials and Gen Z are prioritizing a balance of money, meaning, and well-being in their career decisions, values that align closely with the structure and support of franchised business ownership. Franchising offers the freedom to build something of your own without starting from scratch, and for a generation that watched the traditional corporate ladder wobble, that trade-off is increasingly appealing.
For Chicken Salad Chick, the bet on younger franchisees isn't just a demographic curiosity, it's a strategic growth engine. With community-minded owners, digital marketing fluency, and a product that resonates across generations, the brand appears well-positioned to keep its momentum going well into the future.