Church’s Chicken Lowers Building Costs

You’ve probably heard about the cost savings of prefabricated modular building.  Church’s Chicken is going with a new prefab building to reduce startup costs, hopefully attracting new franchisees.

…Church’s Chicken estimates that the pre-fabricated buildings will cost 25 percent less than its traditional stand-alone structure, Brown said. The low-end of pricing for a traditional structure is about $660,000.

The modular store has a slightly smaller footprint than the store’s traditional prototype. The 1,750 square-foot building has 23 seats in the dining room, down 10 from the traditional standard.

Brown said he doesn’t see the smaller seating capacity affecting operations in most locations. The company is considering a 1,200-square-foot model to replace its small walk-up neighborhood units. It also may look into developing a larger store for regions where in-store dining is more popular.

While Church’s Chicken used modular buildings about 30 years ago, the new structures have advanced well beyond their forebears. Advances in metal extrusion and other technology have allowed for a building of equal quality to traditional construction, he said.

The modular store is designed to fit local building requirements, with each unit built according to pre-approved state building codes depending on the location.

Financing…

One program is an internally funded equipment leasing program in which the company would directly lease full equipment packages to franchisees. The leasing program, valued at $200,000-$220,000, would cover all necessary equipment, from smallwares to fryers, Brown said.

Church’s Chicken is offering an 11 percent annual rate on the seven-year leasing package — a rate equal to the corporation’s cost, Brown said. Franchisees can purchase the equipment at the end of the lease for $20,000-$30,000.

Brown said franchisees with great credit may be able to getter a better deal by purchasing the equipment with financing. But it’s a good deal for those who need to lease.

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Article by Ryan Knoll

Ryan is an attorney and valuation specialist residing in Chicago. He chronicles his thoughts and research on FranchisePundit.com. You may reach him by email ryanknoll@gmail.com or mobile telephone 312-715-8115. Read 448 articles by
3 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Anonymous says:

    EXACTLY what zors should do – lower the up front costs. This lowers the whole risk profile of the venture.

  2. Prefabrik Ev says:

    Thanks for the great information, it was very helpful.

  3. Joseph Vasta says:

    cool, exactly what I was attempting to find. have a good one..

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