Daddy’s Chicken Shack

What Daddy’s Chicken Shack does

Daddy's Chicken Shack is a fast-casual chicken restaurant chain founded in 2018 by chef Pace Webb and Chris Georgalas in Pasadena, California. The menu centers on herb-and-buttermilk–brined chicken sandwiches, tenders, fingers, and bites — prepared via a proprietary pressure-cooking method and offered crispy or grilled with four heat levels from Mild to Extra Hot. The concept also includes breakfast items, salads, regional menu exclusives (such as 512 Daddy for Austin and 303 Daddy for Colorado), a kids' menu, and a catering service for groups of 4-400 with a $150 delivery minimum within a 30-mile radius. The brand operates company-owned and franchise locations primarily in food halls and standalone settings across Texas, Colorado, and New Jersey, and distributes through its own iOS/Android mobile app (built on Olo) with a loyalty rewards program, plus third-party delivery aggregators.

The company's business model is franchise-led. Daddy's began franchising in 2021 and was fully acquired by Area 15 Ventures — a private-equity firm created by RE/MAX co-founder Dave Liniger — in May 2023, at which point the brand had 160 units in development. Under Area 15 Ventures ownership, the company has accelerated expansion via a regional developer model in which developers secure exclusive territory rights and earn 50% of franchise fees and 50% of ongoing royalties from franchisees in their region. Revenue streams include one-time franchise fees, recurring royalties, restaurant-level food and beverage sales, and catering transactions. Franchise requirements are $1M+ in net worth and $500K+ in liquid capital. As of late 2024, the company reported 9 open locations and over 200 units in the development pipeline, with regional developer agreements in place for Denver (33 stores over seven years) and New Jersey (13 stores via Esperto Hospitality Group), and stated expansion targets in Houston, Orlando, Phoenix, Chicago, Boston, and Las Vegas. Leadership comprises Dave Liniger as Chairman, Dave Liniger Jr. as CEO, Tony Adams as President, and Todd Haavind as VP of Franchise Development.

Name

Daddy’s Chicken Shack

Legal name

Daddy's Franchising, LLC

Website

https://daddyschickenshack.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Daddy's Chicken Shack is a fast-casual chicken chain founded in 2018, serving herb-and-buttermilk–brined, pressure-cooked chicken sandwiches, tenders, and sides via company-owned and franchise restaurants, mobile-app ordering, and catering for groups of 4-400.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015)

akta.pro primary industry

Chicken Concepts (Fried/Grilled/Hot Chicken) (THAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chicken & Wings QSR (THAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Fast casual chicken
• Franchise restaurant
• Chicken sandwiches
• Catering services
• Loyalty rewards app

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue from direct food and beverage sales at company-owned and franchise restaurant locations. Menu items include chicken sandwiches, tenders, fingers, bites, sides, and breakfast items.
2. Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fees paid by franchise owners. Regional developers earn 50% of franchise fees from franchisees in their territories.
3. Royalties: Ongoing royalty payments from franchisees based on restaurant sales. Regional developers receive 50% of ongoing royalties from franchise locations in their designated territories.
4. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering orders for groups of 4-400 people. Minimum order of $150 for delivery within 30-mile radius.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Daddy's Chicken Shack is a fast-casual restaurant chain that sells chef-prepared, herb-and-buttermilk brined chicken sandwiches, tenders, fingers, bites, breakfast items, salads, and sides through company-owned and franchise locations. The brand complements in-store dining with a mobile ordering and rewards app, third-party delivery, and a catering program for groups of 4-400 people.

Product overview

Daddy's Chicken Shack is a fast-casual chicken restaurant chain operating on a franchise model. The core product offering centers on premium, pressure-cooked or grilled chicken sandwiches with bold flavors, complemented by chicken tenders, fingers, bites, breakfast items, salads, and sides. The menu features signature items like the Nashville Daddy (available in 4 heat levels), Classic Daddy, and regional specialties such as the 512 Daddy (Austin, TX only) and 303 Daddy (Colorado only). The company operates a mobile app with an integrated rewards program, offers catering services for groups of 4-400 people, and provides franchise ownership opportunities with comprehensive training and support. The brand was founded in 2018, began franchising in 2021, and is now backed by Area 15 Ventures (led by RE/MAX co-founder Dave Liniger) with 9 open locations and over 200 in development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chicken Sandwiches

Quantifiable outcome

• Better chicken: raised in U.S. by family farmers, without antibiotics, GMO feed, or hormones

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Esperto Hospitality GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSigned agreement to open 13 Daddy’s Chicken Shack locations in New Jersey. Esperto Hospitality Group serves as the regional developer/franchisee for New Jersey expansion.
• Noah PillsburymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional developer for the Greater Denver market. Formerly scaled a commercial reconstruction company to $23.3 million in production over seven years. Responsible for site identification, construction, store openings, and ongoing support to local franchise owners. Plans to open 33 stores in Denver market over seven years, starting with first franchise location in early 2025.
• Port of SubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSibling brand under Area 15 Ventures portfolio. Area 15 Ventures acquired Port of Subs in April 2023, a 50-year legacy sandwich brand based in Reno, Nevada with 130 units in seven western states. Brands share marketing and technology capabilities under Area 15 Ventures shared-services model.
• Todd HaavindmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVice President of Franchise Development with over 20 years of expertise in franchising, sales, and business growth. Previously VP of Development for Camp Bow Wow and held leadership roles at Quiznos, TCBY, Mrs. Fields, Dickey’s BBQ, and Title Boxing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Golden Chick: Chicken-focused fast-casual chain serving sandwiches, tenders, and sides in a similar service model. Comparable franchise structure and product positioning to Daddy's.
• PDQ: Fast-casual chicken tenders chain with comparable menu, service model, and target customer. Similar scale stage and franchise growth strategy make it a direct comparable for unit economics benchmarking.
• Raising Cane's: Direct chicken-focused QSR competitor with chicken tenders as a signature item. Operates a similar fast-casual service model centered on a single protein, with comparable unit-level economics and a growing national footprint.
• Slim Chickens: Fast-casual chicken tenders and sandwiches chain with comparable menu positioning and franchise growth model. Closely comparable in unit-level concept, AUV, and target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Chick-fil-A: Dominant chicken QSR incumbent with 3,000+ units. Competes for the same chicken sandwich and tender occasion but at vastly greater scale and with a closed-operator franchise model that limits unit growth speed.
• Wingstop: Public chicken-focused QSR (NASDAQ: WING) with 2,000+ units and a similar franchise-led model. Competes for chicken occasion share but with a wings-led menu and digital-first customer engagement.
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen: Major chicken QSR chain (Restaurant Brands International portfolio) competing directly on chicken sandwich and tenders. Operates at national scale with broader menu and significantly larger marketing spend.
• Bojangles: Southern-style chicken QSR with 800+ units. Overlaps on chicken-focused menu and franchise expansion but operates primarily in the Southeast U.S. with a broader biscuit and breakfast daypart.

Emerging players

• Dave's Hot Chicken: Fast-growing Nashville-style hot chicken concept with a similar franchise-driven growth model. Closely comparable on menu (spicy chicken sandwiches), target demo, and unit-economics profile as an emerging chicken concept.

Others

• Port of Subs: Sibling brand under Area 15 Ventures, sharing marketing and technology services. Not a direct competitor but a portfolio comparable illustrating how Area 15 Ventures scales franchise QSR concepts (130+ units, 7 western states).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/daddyschickenshack
• Facebookfacebook.com/DaddysChickenShack
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daddys-chicken-shack-franchises

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Daddy’s Chicken Shack