The average franchisee for Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken pulled in $934,619 in gross revenue in 2022 [QSR Magazine, 2023]. For a brand with 23 locations and a menu centered on biscuits and fried chicken, that is the number that matters. It is the core unit of growth for a company that is not a venture-backed startup but a franchise system, scaling one store at a time.
The franchise wedge
Rise operates on a classic franchise model, a capital-light expansion playbook that trades equity dilution for a steady royalty stream. The initial buy-in for a franchisee is $35,000, with an estimated total investment ranging from $410,000 to $619,000 [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026]. The company then collects a 5% royalty on gross sales and a 2% ad royalty [Entrepreneur, 2025]. The bet is straightforward: attract operators with a proven, high-margin concept that can compete in the crowded fast-casual South. The $934,619 average gross revenue figure suggests the model has traction, providing a tangible return profile for prospective franchisees that is more concrete than many tech startup projections.
Leadership and transition risk
The company's founder and CEO, Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Tom Ferguson, died in February 2022 [Restaurant Business Online]. His passing represents a significant transition for a founder-led brand. The franchise model, however, is designed to withstand such shifts. With standardized operations and a development partner in Fransmart,a firm that announced a multi-unit franchise deal for Rise even during the early stages of the global crisis in March 2020 [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020],the day-to-day execution is less dependent on a single visionary. The question is whether the brand's culinary identity and expansion momentum can be maintained without its founding chef.
The competitive plate
Rise operates in a specific and competitive niche. Its direct rivals include regional powerhouses like Bojangles and Biscuitville, as well as national giant Chick-fil-A. Its differentiation is a focused, all-day menu of southern biscuits and "righteous" chicken. The unit economics and franchise fee structure position it as a mid-scale option for operators.
- Concept focus. A narrow menu can drive operational efficiency and brand clarity, but it also limits daypart expansion and customer occasions compared to broader competitors.
- Geographic concentration. With an estimated 25 units [Entrepreneur, 2025], the brand is still regional. National scaling against entrenched players requires consistent unit performance to attract new franchisees.
- Franchisee appeal. The published investment range and revenue average are key marketing tools. The partnership with Fransmart provides professional franchise sales infrastructure, a critical lever for growth [Fransmart].
The model's resilience will be tested as it expands beyond its core Southeastern markets. The company's reported experimentation with locker technology for order pickup at some locations suggests an adaptation to modern convenience demands, a small but necessary evolution [Fransmart, retrieved 2026].
The next twelve months
Growth for Rise is measured in new franchise agreements and same-store sales, not monthly active users. The partnership with Fransmart is the primary engine for signing multi-unit deals. The key metric to watch is whether the average unit volume holds or increases as the brand grows. A dip would signal concept dilution or increased competitive pressure; stability or growth would validate the franchise model's scalability. The company was founded in 2012 and has built a foundation of roughly two dozen locations. The next phase is about proving that the $934,619 unit is not an outlier but a repeatable blueprint. Can the biscuit-and-chicken concept, now without its founder, convince enough operators to write that $35,000 check and build out the next 25 units?
Sources
- [Entrepreneur, 2025] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Franchise Directory | https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken/334585
- [QSR Magazine, 2023] Founder of Rise and Fast Casual Innovator Has Died | https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-casual/founder-rise-and-fast-casual-innovator-has-died
- [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Franchise Overview | https://www.franchising.com/risebiscuitsanddonuts/
- [Restaurant Business Online] Tom Ferguson, 57, founder and CEO of Rise Biscuits dies | https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/leadership/tom-ferguson-57-founder-ceo-rise-biscuits-dies
- [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken Signs Multi-Unit Franchise Amid Global Crisis | https://www.restaurantnews.com/rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken-signs-multi-unit-franchise-amid-global-crisis-033020/
- [Fransmart] The Story Behind the Famous Rise Biscuits Told By CEO Tom Ferguson | https://fransmart.com/the-story-behind-rises-famous-biscuits/