Rackson Restaurants, Llc
Rackson Restaurants is a privately held, founder-owned multi-brand quick-service restaurant franchisee operating approximately 65 Burger King locations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, with an emerging Dave's Hot Chicken franchise portfolio and a CloudKitchens ghost kitchen in Philadelphia, serving individual consumers via dine-in, drive-through, and delivery channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBridgewater, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rackson Restaurants, Llc does
Rackson Restaurants, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned multi-brand quick-service restaurant franchisee headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey, founded in 2013 by Chris Johnson. The company operates approximately 65 Burger King franchise restaurants across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States (Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) and is expanding a second franchise brand, Dave's Hot Chicken, with locations opened in Brookfield, CT (May 2024) and Yonkers, NY (March 2025). Rackson also operates a delivery-only ghost kitchen in the Philadelphia Market through a partnership with CloudKitchens (launched October 2020). The company employs over 1,500 people across its restaurant portfolio and a Restaurant Support Center.
Rackson's revenue model is straightforward franchise food and beverage sales: the company sells Burger King and Dave's Hot Chicken menu items through dine-in, drive-through, and delivery channels under franchise agreements with Restaurant Brands International (Burger King parent) and Dave's Hot Chicken, remitting franchise fees and purchasing through brand supply chains. A secondary revenue stream comes from ghost kitchen / delivery-only operations in Philadelphia through CloudKitchens. The company does not develop proprietary technology; it deploys standard QSR infrastructure including point-of-sale systems, digital ordering kiosks, and mobile order/pickup areas (exemplified by the June 2024 remodeled Avenel, NJ Burger King). There is no public-facing app, API, or developer platform, and no disclosed AI/ML capability.
The company's go-to-market is anchored in community-driven consumer engagement, including grand opening events (e.g., Brookfield CT, Yonkers NY, Avenel NJ), on-site hiring events, and Instagram-led social media amplification. Distribution is entirely physical across owned franchise locations, with delivery supported through aggregator platforms under the parent brand partnerships. Rackson's strategic positioning emphasizes a "people-first" culture and disciplined operational execution, evidenced by 78 internal promotions in 2021 and 50+ promotions in 2020 despite COVID-19, top-quartile REV scores of 95-100% by leading Restaurant General Managers, a Guest Trac OSAT NPS of 63.2%, Burger King's Royal League Award, and recognition as one of Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces in 2023. The leadership team includes CEO Chris Johnson, CFO Susan Daggett (formerly CFO at Qdoba and senior leader at Einstein and Burger King), SVP of Operations Todd Barto, and VP of People and Culture Katie Fionova.
Rackson Restaurants, Llc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rackson Restaurants, Llc
- Legal name
- Rackson Restaurants, LLC
- Website
- https://racksonrestaurants.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Rackson Restaurants is a privately held, founder-owned multi-brand quick-service restaurant franchisee operating approximately 65 Burger King locations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, with an emerging Dave's Hot Chicken franchise portfolio and a CloudKitchens ghost kitchen in Philadelphia, serving individual consumers via dine-in, drive-through, and delivery channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rackson Restaurants, Llc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick-Service Restaurant Operations
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Delivery-Only Restaurant Brands (No Dine-In) (THAFAJAC)
Keywords
Where Rackson Restaurants, Llc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bridgewater
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Rackson Restaurants, Llc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Quick-Service Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales: Rackson generates revenue through the operation of Burger King and Dave's Hot Chicken franchise restaurants. Revenue comes from in-restaurant dining, drive-through, and delivery orders. The company operates as a franchisee under brand license agreements, remitting franchise fees and purchasing products through brand supply chains.
- Ghost Kitchen / Delivery-Only Operations: Rackson operates a ghost kitchen in Philadelphia through a partnership with CloudKitchens, enabling delivery-only restaurant operations in high-cost urban markets without traditional brick-and-mortar front-of-house presence.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rackson Restaurants, Llc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rackson Restaurants, LLC operates quick-service restaurant franchises — primarily Burger King, with an emerging Dave's Hot Chicken portfolio — across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company runs approximately 65 owned-and-operated restaurants serving dine-in, drive-through, and delivery customers, and has additionally launched a delivery-only ghost kitchen in Philadelphia through a partnership with CloudKitchens. Revenue is generated through food and beverage sales at these franchise locations under brand-license agreements with Burger King (Restaurant Brands International) and Dave's Hot Chicken.
Product overview
Rackson Restaurants, LLC is a multi-brand restaurant franchise operator primarily operating Burger King locations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. Founded in 2013, the company has expanded to approximately 65 restaurants and is growing into a second brand through Dave's Hot Chicken franchise operations. The company also operates ghost kitchen/delivery-only locations through a partnership with Cloud Kitchens. Rackson's business model focuses on people-first culture, operational excellence, and disciplined profitable growth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Burger King Franchise Operations
- Dave's Hot Chicken Franchise Operations
- CloudKitchens Ghost Kitchen Operations (Philadelphia)
Quantifiable outcome
- 78 full-time employees promoted in 2021 alone through internal mobility programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Rackson Restaurants, Llc
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rackson Restaurants, Llc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rackson Restaurants, Llc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and emerging.
- CloudKitchensminorRackson partnered with CloudKitchens to launch its first ghost kitchen in the Philadelphia Market, enabling delivery-only restaurant operations in high-cost urban markets without traditional brick-and-mortar front-of-house. CloudKitchens provides turn-key infrastructure for dark kitchen operations. This was Rackson's entry into ghost kitchen / delivery-only format.
- The Valerie FundcoreThe Valerie Fund provides comprehensive care to children with cancer and blood disorders across 8 pediatric hospitals in NJ, NY, and metro Philadelphia. Rackson has supported The Valerie Fund for 10 consecutive years through annual fundraising campaigns including Burger King Coupon Campaigns. The 2023 campaign raised $16,957.
- Burger King (Restaurant Brands International)coreRackson operates Burger King franchise restaurants under a franchise agreement with Restaurant Brands International (parent company of Burger King). Rackson is one of the top-performing Burger King franchisees in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, operating approximately 65 locations. Burger King provides brand, supply chain, operational standards, and marketing support.
- Dave's Hot ChickenemergingRackson is expanding into Dave's Hot Chicken as a second brand franchise. Locations opened in Brookfield, CT (May 2024) and Yonkers, NY (March 2025), with potential for further expansion. Dave's Hot Chicken is an emerging fast-casual chicken brand.
- Hands of HopeminorRackson partners with Hands of Hope as part of its community giving strategy. Nature of partnership involves community support and charitable initiatives in the neighborhoods Rackson serves.
- Restaurant Brands InternationalcoreParent company of Burger King. Rackson leverages Restaurant Brands International's delivery partner network and brand infrastructure to grow its restaurant portfolio, particularly in urban markets through alternative formats like ghost kitchens.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rackson Restaurants, Llc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NPC International: NPC International (formerly NASDAQ: NPC) was a major multi-unit franchisee operator of Pizza Hut and Wendy's units in the US before its 2021 restructuring. Comparable to Rackson as a large multi-brand QSR franchisee with similar unit-level operating dynamics, despite different brand mix.
- Carrols Restaurant Group: Carrols was the largest Burger King franchisee in the US (operating ~1,000 BK and Popeyes units) and is the most direct comparable to Rackson in terms of brand mix and franchisee business model. Acquired by Restaurant Brands International in 2024, Carrols represents both a valuation benchmark and a strategic-exit reference point for multi-unit BK operators like Rackson.
- Flynn Restaurant Group: Flynn is the largest US franchisee operator (Applebee's, Taco Bell, Panera, Arby's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut) and a privately-held multi-brand franchisee. Closest comparable to Rackson in business model (multi-unit, multi-brand, founder-led) but at materially larger scale (~2,500 units), making it a useful growth benchmark.
- GPS Hospitality: GPS Hospitality was one of the largest Burger King franchisees in the US (operating ~150 BK units), now part of Flynn Restaurant Group. Direct comparable to Rackson as a large private BK franchisee in the Eastern US with similar multi-unit operating model.
- Yadav Enterprises: Yadav Enterprises is a long-tenured Burger King franchisee operating dozens of units in the Eastern US. Directly comparable to Rackson as a private, multi-unit BK operator with similar geographic exposure and franchisee economics.
Emerging players
- Qdoba Mexican Eats: Qdoba is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain recently acquired by RBI. Relevant comparable to Rackson's multi-brand thesis because (1) it shares RBI as parent/franchisor with Burger King, and (2) Rackson's CFO Susan Daggett previously drove a 500% increase in operating cash flow at Qdoba, indicating operational know-how transferable to future Qdoba franchise expansion by Rackson.
Broad incumbents
- Restaurant Brands International: RBI is the parent franchisor of Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. As Rackson's franchisor, RBI sets the royalty structure, brand standards, and supply chain terms that define Rackson's unit economics; RBI's recent acquisition of Carrols signals potential franchisor-led consolidation risk for independent franchisees like Rackson.
- Wingstop: Wingstop is a fast-growing, predominantly franchised QSR chain with high franchisee unit economics and strong same-store sales. Comparable to Rackson as a multi-unit franchisee economics reference point and as a chicken-focused concept parallel to Dave's Hot Chicken.
- Inspire Brands: Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company (Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, Jimmy John's) owned by Roack Capital. Comparable to Rackson in multi-brand QSR/fast-casual operating model but at substantially larger scale and with corporate-owned vs. franchised balance.
- Raising Cane's: Raising Cane's is a fast-growing chicken-focused QSR concept with high AUVs and strong unit economics. Relevant comparable to Rackson's emerging Dave's Hot Chicken expansion, given similar product positioning (premium chicken tenders) and growth-stage profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rackson Restaurants, Llc social profiles
Digital presenceRackson Restaurants, Llc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rackson Restaurants, Llc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Rackson Restaurants, Llc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rackson Restaurants, Llc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rackson Restaurants, Llc
What does Rackson Restaurants, Llc do?
Rackson Restaurants, LLC operates quick-service restaurant franchises — primarily Burger King, with an emerging Dave's Hot Chicken portfolio — across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company runs approximately 65 owned-and-operated restaurants serving dine-in, drive-through, and delivery customers, and has additionally launched a delivery-only ghost kitchen in Philadelphia through a partnership with CloudKitchens. Revenue is generated through food and beverage sales at these franchise locations under brand-license agreements with Burger King (Restaurant Brands International) and Dave's Hot Chicken.
Is Rackson Restaurants, Llc a public or private company?
Rackson Restaurants, Llc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rackson Restaurants, Llc founded?
Rackson Restaurants, Llc was founded in 2013. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Rackson Restaurants, Llc based?
Rackson Restaurants, Llc is headquartered in Bridgewater, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rackson Restaurants, Llc make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Quick-Service Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are ghost Kitchen / Delivery-Only Operations.
Who are Rackson Restaurants, Llc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NPC International, Carrols Restaurant Group, Flynn Restaurant Group, GPS Hospitality and Yadav Enterprises. Qdoba Mexican Eats is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Restaurant Brands International, Wingstop, Inspire Brands and Raising Cane's.
Does Rackson Restaurants, Llc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rackson Restaurants, Llc.
What industry is Rackson Restaurants, Llc in?
Rackson Restaurants, Llc's product category is Quick-Service Restaurant Operations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAA, Burger QSR, with a secondary code of THAFAJAC, Delivery-Only Restaurant Brands (No Dine-In). Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.