What did the 'First Chester's' entity do before the current Chesters International, LLC?
Chesters Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The franchisor is Chester's International, LLC ("we," "us," or "our"). "You" means the person to whom we grant a franchise. We are an Alabama limited liability company formed in October 2002 under the name Chester's Supply Company, LLC (we changed to "National Flour Mills and Supply Company, LLC" in April 2004 and changed again to our current name in November 2009). Our current principal business address is 1531 3rd Avenue North, Suite 110, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. We operate under our corporate name, the CHESTER'S® trademark, and the other trademarks described in Item 13 (the "Marks") and no other name.
We grant franchises for quick-service Restaurants operating primarily under the CHESTER'S name that sell chicken and sides ("Restaurants"). We began offering CHESTER'S Restaurant franchises in January 2008. However, our former affiliate, also named Chester's International, LLC (the "First Chester's"), whose principal business address was 3500 Colonnade Parkway, Suite 325, Birmingham, Alabama 35243, offered CHESTER'S Restaurant franchises from approximately March 1, 2004, through December 2007. The CHESTER'S Restaurant franchises offered in this disclosure document are primarily for Restaurants to be located within and operated as part of other existing retail businesses, such as convenience stores (our "Restaurant-in-Store" concept), although we occasionally offer franchises for CHESTER'S Restaurants to be located at food court, strip mall, or other non-traditional locations (such as sports arenas or stadiums). Certain information appearing in this disclosure document, for example, outlet information in Item 20, covers all CHESTER'S Restaurants, regardless of their locations, because they operate under the same brand and sell the same products. We distinguish between these types of locations when necessary.
Before the First Chester's began offering CHESTER'S Restaurant franchises on approximately March 1, 2004, our former affiliate, Giles Enterprises, Inc. ("Giles"), whose address was 2750 Gunter Park Drive West, Montgomery, Alabama 36121, licensed existing retail operators to operate quick-service chicken and sides restaurants similar to the Restaurant opportunity offered in our disclosure document in a program called the "CHESTER FRIED® Total Program" (the "Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants"). Giles began licensing operators to operate Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants in 1974; as of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 16 Operators of Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants remaining in the United States. Operators of Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants generally did not receive all the benefits of a CHESTER'S Restaurant franchise and also were not subject to all the same restrictions and obligations. For example, Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants did not pay a franchise or any other initial fee. Also, most Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants continue to operate under the "CHESTER FRIED®" name. We are now the licensor of those Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants. Operators of Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants have the right to convert their units to franchised Restaurants if they satisfy our standards for a CHESTER'S Restaurant franchisee. If they want to convert, they will sign our Agreement. There is no conversion agreement or similar document they must sign. In addition, in certain parts of the United States, we may continue allowing certain experienced foodservice operators, and chain accounts who already operate one or more Chester Fried Licensed
Restaurants, to develop and operate additional Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants. We generally anticipate doing so only when the experienced food-service operator or chain account prefers (for its own business reasons) not to acquire a CHESTER'S Restaurant franchise. With this exception, we focus on offering and granting CHESTER'S Restaurant franchises and CHESTER'S Licensed Restaurants (as described below). Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants will continue to operate for many years and might compete with you if they are located in the same geographic area where your Restaurant is located. We do not currently operate and have not operated any Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants or CHESTER'S Restaurants.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 8–12)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Chesters's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the 'First Chester's', also named Chester's International, LLC, offered Chesters Restaurant franchises from approximately March 1, 2004, through December 2007. The current franchisor, Chester's International, LLC, began offering franchises in January 2008. The First Chester's offered franchises for quick-service restaurants selling chicken and sides, primarily located within existing retail businesses like convenience stores, which is referred to as the 'Restaurant-in-Store' concept.
Prior to the First Chester's offering franchises, Giles Enterprises, Inc. licensed existing retail operators to run quick-service chicken restaurants through a program called the 'CHESTER FRIED® Total Program' starting in 1974. These Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants were similar to the Chesters Restaurant opportunity but did not provide all the benefits or impose all the same obligations as a Chesters franchise. For instance, operators of Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants did not pay a franchise fee. As of December 31, 2024, there were approximately 16 Operators of Chester Fried Licensed Restaurants remaining in the United States.
The current Chesters International, LLC acquired all existing CHESTER'S Agreements, trademarks, and related assets from the First Chester's effective December 31, 2007, through a merger where the current entity was the survivor. As of December 31, 2007, there were 44 Chesters Restaurant franchises in operation. The First Chester's never offered franchises in any other line of business.