Max Beutler knows other fast-food franchises are looking at expansion opportunities in Germany, which is why he aims to move quickly to get his first Slim Chickens restaurants open this summer in Berlin.
“The chicken race is already set up,” said Beutler, the CEO of Foodelity Group, which has sites secured for its first five Slim Chickens locations. “We want to quickly scale and build the foundation here in Berlin.”
Global QSR chicken giant KFC has about 220 units in Germany, while Popeyes has just a handful. Though Beutler doesn’t consider those brands direct competitors to Slim Chickens, which is positioned as a premium chicken tenders concept, their continued expansion is an indicator of untapped market potential in the country. Local chains such as Crispy’s Chicken and Risa Chicken are also growing, and other U.S.-based franchisors are looking for operators in the market, he said.
“There’s not a lot of players yet when it comes to fried chicken,” said Beutler, but that will change and he wants Slim Chickens to solidify its position early.
Foodelity Group CEO Max Beutler is leading the Slim Chickens growth in Germany.
Beutler and Foodelity initially signed a smaller deal in February focused on developing Slim Chickens in Berlin, but then this spring expanded the agreement to 20 locations throughout Germany. Foodelity is a sub-franchisee of Boparan Restaurant Group, the master franchisee for Slim Chickens in the United Kingdom with 52 restaurants there and now also in Turkey.
Related story: Slim Chickens Makes Its Mark in U.K. as Master Franchisee Pushes Premium Positioning
Beutler, who before forming Foodelity was a Burgermeister franchisee and also worked on the corporate side for German burger chain, said he’s spent the last five years learning “everything in the QSR business” and decided he “wanted to do more.” After visiting several Slim Chickens restaurants in the U.K.—“I did incognito visits in London without letting them know,” he said—Beutler met the brand’s CEO, Tom Gordon, along with Sam Rothschild, the chief operating officer.
“We built up that trust really quickly,” he continued, and the success of Slims in the U.K. and support from Boparan and its CEO, Satnam Leihal, “gave us a lot of confidence to commit.”
In Germany, consumers are mainly focused on the quality and freshness of a restaurant’s offerings, according to Beutler, and Slim Chickens’ emphasis on providing a superior chicken product is what will help it win customers. “I completely fell in love with the tenders,” he said, and other elements, such as fresh-cut cabbage for the brand’s coleslaw, will be key to demonstrating quality as Foodelity introduces the concept.
“Honestly, in Germany, no one knows about Slims,” said Beutler. Because Germans tend to prefer local brands, he plans to emphasize local connections and partnerships—perhaps even taking a cue from McDonald’s when it comes to brand ambassadors.
The burger behemoth this spring created a Famous Orders partnership with German musician twins Bill and Tom Kaultiz, of pop rock band Tokio Hotel fame, to promote its McPlant burger meals featuring Beyond Meat. Like their counterparts in the U.S., including Travis Scott and Mariah Carey, the Kaultiz brothers have their chosen meals which are being offered as limited runs at McDonald’s restaurants in Germany through the summer.
“We want to communicate that it’s a U.S. brand, but also ensure it’s connected to the local market,” said Beutler, who has one high-profile partnership in the works that he couldn’t yet reveal.
Foodelity secured a prime tourist area location for its first Slim Chickens in Berlin, he said, and will be able to get the next four open in quick succession thanks to its established operations team and support from Boparan.
“It’s easy to say you’re going to expand,” he noted. “But the key is to make it possible with the infrastructure.”