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Tennessee restauranter Jim Richards has signed a development agreement to open several Shaquille O’Neal-backed Big Chicken restaurants in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga markets.
“With four decades of restaurant industry experience under my belt, I know the importance of creating a ‘wow’ experience for customers,” said Richards, whose development agreement calls for him to open 10 of the fast-casual brand’s locations across the state. “The food, service, and overall experience at Big Chicken are truly unmatched and as someone who’s lived in the area for over 40 years, I’m confident we’ll become a quick hit.”
Richards knows franchising and the restaurant world well. He served as the vice president of franchise services for The Krystal Company for ten years before launching his own company, GPR Hospitality LLC. He currently owns and operates 13 Five Guys restaurants in Tennessee and North Georgia as well as Fiamma Pizza Company with partner Brion Voges.
Voges and Richards will be joined by business partners and associates Andrew Gardner, Bruce Bowman, and Rodney Hutson in operating the new Big Chicken locations in the Volunteer State. The partners said they plan to leverage their industry knowledge to build a strong brand presence in their markets.
Big Chicken just began franchising a year ago and has more than 150 locations in the development pipeline. The first franchise location is set to open in Dayton, Ohio later this summer. The brand’s expansion plans also include new restaurants in Illinois, California, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Idaho, Utah, Tennessee, and Nevada.