Chicken Cottage bosses mark 30th anniversary going ‘back to the shop floor’

Bosses at Chicken Cottage are to mark the company’s 30th anniversary by swapping the office for the frontline to join forces with a host of their franchisees.

The ‘back to the shop floor’ operation on June 26th will see all of the company’s HQ staff heading to more than 20 stores across the UK to celebrate the business’s landmark anniversary.

The stores that have been selected include those in Paddington, Southall, Hemel Hempstead, Chelmsford, Canterbury, Manchester, Bury, Shipley and Glasgow.

It is part of a wider initiative by the Croydon-based QSR operation to strengthen engagement and collaboration between the corporate team and the franchisees, which currently number more than 60 outlets across the UK.

The 30th anniversary is a significant milestone for the company, which opened its first store in Wembley and was the first UK QSR to introduce halal chicken in grilled and fried varieties.

Chicken Cottage, recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 elite franchises, thrives on family values and many of its franchises are family run businesses. The 30th anniversary is an opportunity to reaffirm that everyone involved in the business are all part of one family.

The store engagement is just one of a number of activities to recognise the services and dedication of its franchisees, which also includes gifts and a personal note from CEO Greg Milne. Chicken Cottage’s longest serving employee, Shakeel Zeb from Shipley, will also be recognised for his 16 years’ service with a personal gift from the company.

Ria Dhamija, marketing manager at Chicken Cottage said: “This is a major celebration for everyone involved with Chicken Cottage. This is an opportunity for the franchisees and the staff to engage and connect. Around 20 stores, including Glasgow, Manchester, Canterbury and several around London, have been selected to get a member of staff from head office to join the team. Everyone will be a team member and help the regular store staff.”

She added: “There has been a real sea of change to recognise we are all part of one team. There have been subtle changes such as all store staff and HQ staff wearing identical Chicken Cottage apparel, which didn’t used to be the case. This bridges the gap and builds relationships between everyone.

“We are purposely focusing on our franchisees, some of them who have been involved with Chicken Cottage for many years, as they are the foundations and why the business has achieved this significant milestone.”

As part of the 30th anniversary, Chicken Cottage has also produced a series of interviews with franchise owners, who reflect on their personal journey with the company and showcase the strong relationship.

Noureen Ahmed who has a store in Lowry Mall, Manchester, and has been a franchisee with Chicken Cottage for 18 years said: “Without them and their hard work and their dedication, this success would not be possible. I’m proud to be a part of this team.”

This was echoed by Faheem Uddin, who has stores in Streatham and West Kensington. He said: “This has been a really good journey with Chicken Cottage. It’s a very good, honest and supportive brand for communities.”

The plans for Chicken Cottage’s 30th anniversary began in February. This includes a number of consumer focused activities, which will run until the end of July.

The activities include promotions on its mobile App, a social media campaign, a Friday voucher giveaway with partner Flipdish, and the launch of two new menu items – a double mountain burger and Mango Kulfi ice cream – which will be available in July.

Chicken Cottage, which also has franchise partners in Kenya, recently announced plans to reach 100 stores by 2027.