Franchising

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken inks largest deal in history

Provided

March 9, 2022

Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken has inked its largest market development agreement in its history, according to a press release.

NLM Enterprises LLC and new franchisees Noman Aiyash and Leo Gonzalez signed an agreement to open 12 restaurants over the next seven years in the greater Detroit area.

"Lee's is growing and we're excited to expand our presence in the state of Michigan for Lee's fans to experience our fresh never frozen products. The Lee's location in Plymouth has a legendary following, so we're looking forward to adding many new locations in Southeast Michigan over the coming years," Lee's CEO Ryan Weaver said in the release. "This expansion really demonstrates the strength and momentum of the Lee's brand right now and the differentiation our product offering brings to the chicken QSR category. Our customers love our product, and we're excited for Noman and Leo to bring the best fried chicken out there to more residents in these areas."

Both Aiyash and Gonzalez said they were drawn to the concept after being customers for more than a decade. It's the second QSR concept in Aiyash's portfolio. Aiyash will focus on operations while Gonzalex will focus on development.

NLM Enterprises LLC plans to have its first Lee's location open by the end of 2022.

"Lee's is a good fit for us to expand locally, especially as long-time fans of the brand," Aiyash said in the release. "Lee's as a whole is seeing record sales growth over the past couple years. We expect to be a part of continuing that momentum, especially with our many years of restaurant experience in these markets."

"These future locations will be a combination of new construction and remodels of existing QSR sites depending upon the area and how we can best serve customers," Gonzalez said in the release.