Biscuit and fried chicken franchise, Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, has signed a five-unit deal with franchisees Dr. Parker Simon and his partner Bradley Turney to expand the fast-casual concept to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Since first opening as a single storefront in Durham, North Carolina, in 2012, the brand has grown to 16 stores across six states and has more than 160 units in development.
“This is big news for franchising, as the Tulsa deal carried forward without hesitation despite this time of unpredictability for many investors. Dr. Simon has a long-term investor’s mindset and he is well-positioned to develop the Rise brand,” said Tom Ferguson, Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Founder and CEO. “Rise has always sought opportunities to leverage conversions when opening new locations. With the harsh reality of at minimum 11 percent of restaurants anticipating closing permanently amid the crisis, there will inherently be cost-saving opportunities for people like Dr. Simon to lease and convert a space, and we can provide the blueprint.”
Rise recently began using YourFare to streamline third-party delivery services in order to accommodate the rapidly-growing demand for delivery services. The franchise has also recently implemented a cloud kitchen project to assist Durham restaurants and the Triangle Restaurant Employee Relief Fund in weathering the next few months.
Tom Ferguson, founder and CEO of Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, said: “This is big news for franchising, as the Tulsa deal carried forward without hesitation despite this time of unpredictability for many investors. Dr. Simon has a long-term investor’s mindset and he is well-positioned to develop the Rise brand.
“Rise has always sought opportunities to leverage conversions when opening new locations. With the harsh reality of at minimum 11 percent of restaurants anticipating closing permanently amid the crisis, there will inherently be cost-saving opportunities for people like Dr. Simon to lease and convert a space, and we can provide the blueprint.
“Parker has faith and confidence in Rise. He watched over the last nine months as Rise began moving toward a more delivery and catering-friendly model. When the crisis hit, we were prepared with the technology and systems to operate as a delivery and take-out restaurant without a hiccup.”
Dr. Parker Simon, a Neonatologist and new Rise franchisee, said: “We believe in the U.S. and we will get through this crisis. We desire to be a part of the solution and help provide future jobs to our displaced U.S. working family. It is likely that the restaurant industry will be forever changed after the current crisis has abated. Rise is well-positioned for grab and go, delivery and catering. As a company, Rise is innovative and positioned to tackle new concepts, like their shared cloud kitchen and innovative third-party delivery. We are proud to be members of this team.”
Franchise Insider worked as a brokerage firm, bringing Dr. Simon to franchise development company Fransmart when he became interested in Rise. Fransmart then worked with Rise and Dr. Simon to ensure that franchising would be a good fit for his family.
