Chicken Salad Chick will move from its downtown location to the former site of Karl’s Restaurant in Hixson this fall. The move will allow owner Josh Patton to offer patio dining, a pickup window and seating for 54 inside and 36 outside.
“We’ve loved being downtown,” Patton says. “But we’re in the process of determining if we still need a downtown presence. If so, it would focus on takeout.”
Over the past six years, Patton has opened Chicken Salad Chick franchises on Gunbarrel Road and in Erlanger Medical Mall, as well as in Knoxville and Maryville.
Patton says the COVID pandemic did not precipitate the move to Hixson. Rather, the expiration of his lease gave him the option to consider new opportunities for the growing brand.
The new Hixson location will also allow him to double his number of employees.
Another big draw to Hixson is parking, Patton notes. “Like many small businesses, I’ve been concerned about parking. Customers simply won’t pay the parking prices we’re seeing downtown when other options are available.”
Patton says he’s also considering opening Chicken Salad Chick franchises in other markets, including Fort Oglethorpe and Signal Mountain.
Source: Chicken Salad Chick