Slim Chickens ramps up expansion with drive-throughs on the menu

Restaurant chain Slim Chickens has set its sights on opening a raft of drive-throughs across the UK as part of expansion plans set to create up to around 1,000 jobs in the next year.

The brand, which opened its inaugural restaurant in the UK in 2018, is launching its first drive-through in Broughton Shopping Park, north Wales, on October 6, with the site to act as the blueprint for more nationwide.

Boparan Restaurant Group – which runs the master franchise for Slim Chickens in the UK and Europe – is looking to tap into booming demand for the convenience of drive-through fast-food and the ever-growing appetite for fried chicken.

Rich Pigott, managing director for Boparan Restaurants, told the Press Association the group is looking to open between 15 and 20 sites next year across the UK, with the majority set to be in the drive-through format.

With each site employing up to 50 workers, the expansion plans are set to see the firm create between 800 and 1,000 roles in the UK.

It sees the group accelerate its openings, after eight launches in 2026, which has already taken its UK estate to more than 80.

Mr Pigott said: “We’ve got ambitious plans for the drive-through format, and Broughton gives us the opportunity to take everything people love about Slim Chickens… and bring it to guests in a completely new way.”

He added it is “only the beginning for Slim Chickens drive-throughs in the UK”.

He said the drive-throughs will be focused on sites such as retail parks, adding to its current estate in high streets and shopping centres.

Founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the US, Slim Chickens’s American chain is largely focused on drive-throughs, and the format is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

Mr Pigott said: “It’s convenient for people to go to a drive-through and take food home.”

He said it is a competitive market in the hospitality sector as consumers come under pressure amid soaring energy and fuel costs.

“People will reduce their spending habits to reduce their bills,” he said. “But they will still want to go out.

“People might cut back from going to a restaurant two or three times a week to once a week, so you’ve got to be the best in the market to make sure people come to you.”

Boparan Restaurant Group, which also runs brands such as Carluccio’s, Giraffe and Gourmet Burger Kitchen, is also planning expansion further across Europe through company-owned sites and franchise partnerships.

Tom Patrick, marketing director at Boparan Restaurants, said the drive-through launch in the UK is a “huge moment for the brand”.

He added: “We’re excited to be using our new app and new AI technology to make the guest journey in our drive-through as seamless as in-store.”