Operations
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken growing through corporate acquisitions
June 20, 2023
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken owner LFR Chicken LLC has acquired four units in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from retiring operators Tim and Carol Hagan. Since its acquisition in June 2021, Lee's parent company has purchased 16 existing restaurants. The goal, said Lee's CEO Ryan Weaver, is to put "skin in the game to create better alignment with franchisees," according to a press release.
Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken has approximately 130 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The chicken brand was founded in 1966 by Lee Cummings and business partner Harold Omer in Lima Ohio. LFR Chicken LLC acquired those units from a franchisee in 2021. The chain also purchased seven units from Scott and Kim Griffith in Ohio in 2022.
"Lee's is a brand that allows you to make a difference in your community. The business has been intact here for over 50 years. We had more than 160 employees, many of whom are still with the business, and two of the locations serve as certified training units for new franchisees and operators. We care about our Lee's family," Scott said in the press release. "It was bittersweet for Kim and me because we met through Lee's, we worked for my parents' Lee's business for 20 years, and it has been our life as operators for the past 30 years."
Aside from its acquisitions, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken will continue to grow through newly constructed units. The first of at least 12 Detroit-area stores recently opened in Livonia, Michigan.
"The vision and the potential for Lee's growth is very real. As Scott Griffith would say, we're 'building on the backs of those who've gone before us,' and we look forward to continuing to work with talented and engaged franchisees," Weaver added. "We're committed to adding new restaurants, continuing to invest in our restaurant and corporate teams, and upgrading the in-store experience. It's already paying off as Lee's continues to perform well against our national competitors."
The brand expects to make additional announcements regarding growth in the coming months.
Lee's operates 130 restaurants in 12 states in the U.S. and Canada.
