Slim Chickens
{{Short description|American fast casual restaurant chain}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Slim Chickens
| logo = Slim Chickens.png
| type = Private
| industry = Restaurants
| genre = Fast casual
| key_people = Tom Gordon (CEO, Co-founder) Greg Smart (CBO, Co-founder), Maddi Slims (Youth executive)
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2003}}
Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.{{cite web|url=https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2016/12/15/fayetteville-based-slim-chickens-to-expand-to-middle-east-north-africa-regions/|title=Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens to expand to Middle East, North Africa regions|website=Fayetteville Flyer|accessdate=25 June 2017}}
| location = Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.
| locations = 291 {{as of|2025|6|14|lc=y|df=US}}{{cite web|url=https://slimchickens.com/location-menus/|title=Locations - Addresses, Directions, Hours and More - Slim Chickens|date=16 September 2010|publisher=|accessdate=25 June 2017}}
| areas_served = United States, United Kingdom, Germany
| homepage = {{url|slimchickens.com}}
}}
Slim Chickens is an American fast-casual{{cite web|last=Rengers|first=Carrie|date=October 26, 2016|title=Hey, Slim, what's up with that chicken?|url=https://www.kansas.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/carrie-rengers/article110626772.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=25 June 2017|website=The Wichita Eagle|publisher=}} restaurant chain which specializes in chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, wraps, chicken and waffles, and other items. It was founded in 2003 by Greg Smart and Tom Gordon.{{cite web|url=https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2014/06/06/fayetteville-based-slim-chickens-taking-fresh-chicken-nationwide-with-expansion/|title=Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens taking fresh chicken nationwide|website=Fayetteville Flyer|accessdate=25 June 2017}}
History
File:Slim Chickens on North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida.jpg]]
The first location opened in 2003 at 2120 N. College Avenue in Fayetteville, Arkansas, inside a building formerly home to a sushi restaurant. In 2005, the second location opened in the nearby city of Rogers. The chain's expansion accelerated in 2008 with five more company-owned locations opening in Arkansas and Oklahoma. In 2013, the first franchise location was opened in Texarkana, Arkansas, by businessman Greg McKay.
The company has since expanded with more than 100 locations in 19 states, with international locations in the UK and Kuwait. The 100th location opened in Little Rock, Arkansas, on December 18, 2020.{{Cite web |last=Bartholomew |first=Dustin |date=February 14, 2020 |title=Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens continues to reach new heights |url=https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2020/02/14/fayetteville-based-slim-chickens-continues-to-reach-new-heights/ |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=Fayetteville Flyer |language=en-US}}
10 Point Capital and 600 Restaurant Goal
Slim Chickens in 2019 announced a minority investment by 10 Point Capital. CEO Tom Gordon said the investment would help the company toward its stated goal of opening 600 locations in the next 10 years.{{cite web |title=Slim Chickens Plans 600 Locations with Equity Investment |url=https://www.qsrmagazine.com/exclusives/slim-chickens-plans-600-locations-equity-investment/ |website=QSR Magazine |publisher=WTWH Media, LLC |access-date=29 November 2024 |date=17 July 2019}}
International expansion
In a partnership with Persian Gulf company Alghanim Industries, the first international Slim Chickens opened in Salmiya, Kuwait,{{cite web|url=http://www.slimchickensme.com/location.html|title=Location - Slim Chickens|website=www.slimchickensme.com|accessdate=25 June 2017}} in May 2017. This location has since closed in 2022.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} A London branch opened at 35 James Street in March 2018 via a partnership with Boparan Restaurant Group. A Cardiff branch opened in St David's 2 shopping centre in 2019. A Bristol UK branch opened in 2019 in the shopping area of Cabot Circus. A branch of this restaurant chain opened{{When|date=November 2020}} in Birmingham, UK.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}
The first branch in Kent, England, opened in Bluewater Shopping Centre in February 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/chicken-restaurant-coming-to-shopping-centre-221896/|title=Chicken restaurant coming to shopping centre|date=2020-02-11|website=Kent Online|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}} Since then, in 2021, three new openings within Bournemouth, Southampton and Plymouth have taken place in the south coast of England, UK. In 2023, Bury St Edmunds and Crawley UK branches opened.{{cite web | url=https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/we-dined-at-a-town-s-latest-fast-food-fixture-and-this-is-9327619/ | title=We dined at a town's latest fast food fixture – and this is what we thought | date=26 August 2023 }}
The first German location opened August 24, 2024 in Berlin.{{cite news |last1=Magsam |first1=John |title=Slim Chickens opens first German store |url=https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2024/sep/19/slim-chickens-opens-first-german-store/ |access-date=29 November 2024 |work=Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette |publisher=Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC |date=19 September 2024 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Category:Fayetteville, Arkansas
Category:Chicken chains of the United States
Category:American companies established in 2003
Category:Restaurants established in 2003
Category:2003 establishments in Arkansas
Category:Companies based in Arkansas
{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}