Franchisee Florida Fine Foods and Operating Partner Chip Harwick Take the Reins at the Atlanta-Area Location of Popular Wood-Fired Rotisserie Chicken Chain
Cowboy Chicken, the fast-casual brand known for its wood-fired rotisserie chicken and handmade side dishes, announces a new franchise partner for the brand’s McDonough, Georgia, location: restaurant industry veterans Jenny and Paul Bellanca of Florida Fine Foods. The Bellancas, along with operational partner Chip Harwick. have taken ownership of Cowboy Chicken’s first Georgia restaurant, which opened in 2018.
“We are thrilled to be part of the McDonough community,” says Harwick, who lives in McDonough and previously worked with the Bellancas as Krispy Kreme franchise partners. “Jenny, Paul, and I have a proven track record of working together to exceed the expectations of our guests, and we look forward to continuing Cowboy Chicken’s honest family values and commitment to authentic, wholesome food with metro Atlanta.”
The Bellancas also have a development agreement with Cowboy Chicken that will expand the concept into the greater Orlando area. Previously, the husband-and-wife duo, together with Harwick, owned and operated six Krispy Kreme Doughnuts retail locations in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Winter Park, Florida, where they increased same-store retail sales by 70%, increased wholesale sales by 75%, and were honored as Krispy Kreme’s top franchise at the 2017 Global Partner Summit and as the “most innovative local relationship marketing program” in 2014. The Bellancas formed Florida Fine Foods after selling their successful Krispy Kreme franchise business in mid-2020 and now have four Cowboy Chicken stores scheduled to open in central Florida in 2022 and 2023.
“We were first introduced to Cowboy Chicken while dining at the McDonough restaurant and immediately knew that we wanted to bring this flavorful rotisserie chicken experience to more markets,” says Paul Bellanca. “Having the opportunity to get to know the Cowboy Chicken brand at this very special location before establishing a presence in Kissimmee feels like a dream.”
Cowboy Chicken’s menu features bold, simple, and natural food including all-natural chicken cooked over an open flame and a variety of homestyle sides. Since 1981, Cowboy Chicken has excelled in serving fresh ingredients while treating guests like family and employees like partners. The welcoming, authentic experience, with food as honest as a handshake, has kept guests coming back for more.
About Cowboy Chicken
Founded in Dallas in 1981, Cowboy Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in real wood-fired rotisserie chicken. The brand has been included in Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list every year since 2011 and in 2017 won the Emerging Chain of the Year award from Restaurant Business and was named one of the Top 25 Most Loved Brands by Foodable. Forbes magazine also chose Cowboy Chicken as one “Hot Restaurant Chain to Buy into Now,” and in 2020, QSR ranked Cowboy Chicken #14 in its 40 Under 40 list of the 40 most exciting fast-casual concepts with fewer than 40 units. Cowboy Chicken is currently seeking qualified franchisees to help build the brand in select markets across the U.S. For more information, visit www.cowboychicken.com or email franchise@cowboychicken.com.
