Page 136 - BWM March 2013

136 | Business World Magazine | March 2013
Parmerlee says the company is looking
for those who are willing to be active par-
ticipants in the operation, either directly or
with family involvement. He seeks owner/
operators, not simply investors who let oth-
ers do the work while they manage a portfo-
lio of other interests.
The investment is flexible, and largely de-
pendent on real estate and construction costs
in areas of operation. In some cases, Parmer-
lee explains, franchisees have been able to re-
model structures where restaurants once op-
erated, saving more than half of what it costs
to typically build a location from the ground
up (averages could range from $900,000 to
$4 million). If property is leased, as opposed
to purchased, there are additional savings. In
all cases, Golden Chick’s corporate team as-
sists with site selection, modeling, building
negotiations and demographic analysis that
empower candidates to make well-informed
decisions about where and how to operate in
their respective communities.
Franchisees also complete corporate
training inDallas, typically for six weeks. Pri-
or to opening, a team from corporate will ac-
tually go to the new location to provide fur-
ther training and hands-on-help to prepare
Remodeled Dallas/Plano Road location