A popular franchise in Wilmington is preparing to add a new nest in Leland.
The owners of Chicken Salad Chick, at 1131 Military Cutoff Road, Suite A, are eyeing a December or January opening of their second location at 503 Olde Waterford Way, Suite 104. The Leland space, while smaller than Chicken Salad Chick’s location at The Forum in Wilmington, has a drive-thru window, which will give the restaurant another customer service option.
When the pandemic forced many restaurants to turn to a takeout model, Chicken Salad Chick franchisees Shane and Haley Pinder were at a disadvantage. Their location at The Forum lacked a drive-thru window. They did their best for about four months, but as the pandemic dragged on, the Pinders sought a more sustainable way forward that would provide needed revenue and allow them to keep their staff employed.
“North Carolina was hit hard: we could only do takeout, but without a drive-thru it was difficult," Haley Pinder said Tuesday. "My husband and I decided, if [customers] can’t come to us, we will go to them.”
The Pinders devised a system of “Quick Chick” drops of their menu items and advertised the option on social media. People placed orders and paid by phone or online and the Pinders, their children and their staffers delivered the food to neighborhoods in New Hanover and Brunswick counties.
Not only did this strategy allow their business to survive: it also grew their customer base and gave them a fairly precise idea of where those customers lived.
“Every week, Leland was the best,” Haley Pinder said. “We did two big drops to Leland every week. Over time, we gained a lot of customers from Leland who now come over the bridge to us, but who tell us, ‘We’re tired of coming over the bridge.’ The more we looked, for a second location, Leland seemed a great fit for us.”
After exploring possible locales, the Pinders found the spot on Olde Waterford Way. They are now in the process of hiring staff, including managers, for the new restaurant.
“They can train at the Wilmington location and transfer to Leland once we’re open,” Haley Pinder said. To apply, individuals can text the number 5484 to 31063.
Chicken Salad Chick, with more than 200 locations in the South, the Southeast and the Midwest, features 12 chicken salad variations along with soups, salads and a children’s menu. Everything, according to Haley Pinder, is made from scratch every day. The Wilmington restaurant sees a wide variety of customers, from retirees who want a healthful, leisurely meal to working folks who stop in for a quick lunch or takeout.
The concept was developed as a home-based business by Stacy Brown about 12 years ago. When the local health department told her she was operating illegally, she moved her operation into a commercial space. Demand led to franchising: The Pinders wanted to bring the option to Wilmington from their native Virginia. Their location in The Forum opened in November 2019.
The Wilmington restaurant is open Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Haley Pinder expects the Leland restaurant to stay open until 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
