Major Turnaround Picking Up Speed at Church's Chicken/Texas Chicken®

Global Fried Chicken Brand Posts Record Gains

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Oct 02, 2018, 14:00 ET

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In San Antonio, TX more than 800 restaurant managers, franchisees, field and corporate leaders came together in the largest ever Excellence In Leadership Conference (ELC) for Church's Chicken® and its international sister brand, Texas Chicken®. Themed around "working together", one of the company's core values, the record-setting audience was appropriate for the announcement of the brand's record-setting global performance in years, signaling proof that the turnaround that began 22 months ago with CEO Joe Christina and his leadership team, is well underway.

"We're standing here today because we have momentum in all aspects of the business," he said. "We're seeing increases in sales, global unit growth, franchisee engagement, reimaging of the domestic business, and we're becoming a leader in the home-delivery space. Our team members and franchisees around the world have stepped up to make this happen. After 66 years we've proven we're still in the game, and more than that, we are now better positioned than ever to compete with the larger players in our category," Christina continued. "This conference is about the collective spirit of our brand and investing in the success of our people to continue driving these impressive results."

Among some of the year's high-growth results were international comparable sales growth that surpassed 6% year-to-date. Year-to-date check growth burst into the positive with one of the strongest showings of the past 10 years while the brand maintained its value position. Domestic figures were equally impressive – with positive year-to-date sales growth that delivered the brand's strongest comparable sales performance since 2014. But one of the most eye-opening figures released at the conference was Church's and Texas Chicken's performance against fried chicken competitors in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) market – beating KFC's, Popeyes' or Bojangles' same store sales performance three of the last 5 quarters worldwide.

But Christina acknowledged that to keep the momentum going, everyone must continue to be focused.

"Perseverance pays off," Christina said. "That's what makes a leader. That's what we do, that's what we've done. We're making every day count. No doubt we've got some strong competition out there; competitors that are bigger than us; competitors who fight every day for our very same guests."

Christina then laid out the plan to continue the forward momentum for the 66-year-old brand, which includes enhanced guest experience, more precise and accessible marketing execution, a new global brand positioning, and inspired leadership at every level. "I leave you with this," Christina finished. "Be confident and be energized. Step up with grit and determination to fight the competition head on … never give up on how much we can accomplish by working together … and use your spirit of leadership to lift others up … because it matters. Now let's make it count. More than ever, I am inspired to lead the way towards our vision to become the global franchisor of choice."

About Texas Chicken / Church's Chicken®
Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1952 by George W. Church, Church's Chicken, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken outside of the Americas, is one of the largest quick service chicken restaurant chains in the world. The brands specialize in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, Tender Strips®, sandwiches, honey-butter biscuits made from scratch and freshly baked, and classic, home-style sides all for a great value. Church's Chicken and Texas Chicken have more than 1,500 locations in 23 countries and global markets and system-wide sales of more than $1 billion. For more information, visit www.churchs.com. Follow Church's on Facebook at www.facebook.com/churchschicken and Twitter at www.twitter.com/churchschicken.