Churchs Chicken Pecks Region for New Locations

Churchs Chicken, a division of AFC Enterprises of Atlanta, plans to have restaurants in Northwest Arkansas within the next two years.

“We’re looking,” says Mark Whittle, national director of real estate for Churchs Chicken. “I’d say we will have two to three stores there within the next two years.”

Whittle says at least one of the stores will be in Fayetteville. He says the first store won’t be open for at least six to nine months because preparation takes that long before an opening.

Churchs is the world’s second-largest quick-service chicken chain, with more than 1,300 restaurants in 27 states and eight countries. KFC, the nation’s largest quick-service chicken chain, has two restaurants in Springdale and one each in Rogers, Bentonville and Fayetteville (with a second Fayetteville eatery under construction).

Churchs is known for its core product of Southern-style chicken, served with Southern specialties like coleslaw, mashed potatoes, okra, corn on the cob and honey butter biscuits.

George W. Church Sr. founded Churchs Chicken in 1952 in San Antonio, Texas. Church, a retired incubator salesman with more than 20 years in the poultry industry, conceived the idea of offering freshly cooked, quality fried chicken at a time when only hot dogs and ice cream were marketed fast-food style.

The first “Churchs Fried Chicken to Go” was located in downtown San Antonio, across the street from the Alamo. The restaurant sold only fried chicken. Church added french fries to the menu in 1955.

George Church’s idea paid off, and at the time of his death in 1956, he had opened four Churchs restaurants. Other members of the family became active in the business, and by 1962 the chain had grown to eight San Antonio locations.

By 1967, the company was set to expand, and less than a year later George W. “Bill” Church Jr., opened the first Churchs restaurants outside Texas.

The Church family was bought out in October 1968, and in May 1969 Churchs Fried Chicken Inc. became a publicly held company. At the end of 1969, more than 100 Churchs restaurants were in operation in seven states.

In 1996, Churchs signed a development agreement with White Castle Systems for White Castle to be a Churchs Chicken franchisee and to develop Churchs Chicken locations inside of existing White Castle hamburger restaurants.

Churchs began franchising in 1976. The chain offers single and multi-unit development agreements and currently has territories available in many countries in Asia as well as Central and South America. Churchs is proud of its diversity — 25 percent of Churchs’ current franchisees are African-American and 45 percent are minorities and women.

Major League baseball’s all-time home-run leader Hank Aaron and his wife, Billye, own three Churchs Chicken restaurants in Atlanta.

Churchs president Hala Moddelmog is the highest-ranking woman in the quick-service industry and is the only woman to lead a worldwide quick-service brand.