Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken

The People Building It

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken was founded in 2012 by Tom Ferguson and Brian Wiles. The company is headquartered in Durham, NC.

Links

• Website: https://risebiscuitschicken.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken

The Short Version

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant franchise concept focusing on Southern-style biscuits and fried chicken. Founded in 2012 in Durham, North Carolina, by Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Tom Ferguson and Brian Wiles, the company grew from a single restaurant into a franchised system [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] [Franchise Chatter, February 2021]. The franchise model requires an estimated $410,000 to $619,000 initial investment [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026]. The death of CEO Tom Ferguson in February 2022 introduced a leadership transition [Restaurant Business Online] [indyweek.com, 2023]. The business generates revenue from a $35,000 initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties of 5% of gross sales plus a 2% marketing fee [Entrepreneur, 2025]. Average unit volumes reached $934,619 in gross revenue in 2022 [QSR Magazine, 2023].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core franchise metrics and unit count are confirmed by multiple trade publications; founder background and leadership transition details are partially corroborated.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Value
Stage	Other
Business Model	Franchise
Industry / Vertical	E-commerce / Retail
Technology Type	No Technology Component
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	SMB / Main Street
Founding Team	Solo Founder

The Company in Brief

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken was founded in 2012 by Tom Ferguson and Brian Wiles, operating as a fast-casual restaurant brand from its headquarters in Durham, North Carolina [LinkedIn]. The founding concept centered on a specific culinary niche, with Ferguson, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, providing the initial menu direction [Fransmart]. The company's primary growth mechanism has been franchising [Entrepreneur, 2025].

Key milestones include a multi-unit franchise agreement signed in March 2020 [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020]. A significant transition occurred in February 2022 with the death of founder and CEO Tom Ferguson [indyweek.com, 2023]. By 2025, the system had grown to an estimated 25 operating units [Entrepreneur, 2025].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core facts are confirmed, but some milestone dates rely on single-source trade press.

What They Have Built

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken's menu features southern-style biscuits, fried chicken, and breakfast items available all day [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026]. The operational model is a franchise system [Entrepreneur, 2025]. Some locations have adopted locker technology for order pickup [Fransmart, retrieved 2026]. The company's website facilitates online ordering for specific locations [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product details confirmed by company website and franchisor materials; operational tech noted by a single partner source.

Market Size and Demand

The fast-casual breakfast and chicken segment has demonstrated resilience. The broader U.S. fast-casual restaurant market was valued at approximately $125 billion in 2024 [IBISWorld, 2024]. The U.S. chicken restaurant segment generated over $50 billion in sales in 2023 [Statista, 2024]. Rise's serviceable obtainable market is the subset of that broader chicken and breakfast market accessible to a regional franchise system with an average unit investment under $620,000 [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026].

Metric	Value
Average Franchisee Gross Revenue (2022)	$934,619
Franchise Investment Range	$619,000
Initial Franchise Fee	$35,000

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key market sizing figures are drawn from analogous, broad industry reports. The company's specific unit economics are confirmed by a single trade publication.

Who Else Is Fighting for This

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken operates in a mature, brand-dense segment.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken	Fast-casual franchise specializing in Southern biscuits and chicken, all-day breakfast.	Private, franchise model.	Focus on a combined biscuits-and-chicken daypart menu; partnership with Fransmart.
Bojangles	Major regional quick-service chain known for Cajun-seasoned chicken, biscuits, and iced tea.	Private, large franchise system.	Deeply entrenched in the Southeast.
Chick-fil-A	National fast-food leader focused on chicken sandwiches.	Private, unique operator-license model.	Industry-leading unit volumes.
Biscuitville	Regional chain concentrated in the Carolinas and Virginia.	Private, primarily company-owned.	Hyper-focused on the breakfast daypart.
Krystal	Southern fast-food chain known for small, square burgers and breakfast items.	Private, franchise model.	Broader fast-food menu beyond chicken.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor positioning is inferred from public brand profiles; specific metrics for competitors are not sourced.

Opportunity

The opportunity is the creation of a differentiated, mid-scale franchise system. The company's focus on southern-style biscuits and chicken, served all day, provides differentiation. The model has demonstrated viable unit economics, with average franchisee gross revenue nearing $1 million in 2022 [QSR Magazine, 2023]. The partnership with Fransmart indicates a structured approach to scaling [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key opportunity metrics are from single trade publications; franchise economics are well-documented.

Sources

1. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken | https://www.linkedin.com/company/rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken
2. [Franchise Chatter, February 2021] Q&A with Tom Ferguson, Founder of Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken | https://www.franchisechatter.com/2021/02/19/qa-with-tom-ferguson-founder-of-rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken/
3. [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026] RISE Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken Franchise | https://franchisetop40.com/franchises/rise-southern-biscuits-and-righteous-chicken/
4. [Entrepreneur, 2025] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken | https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/rise-southern-biscuits-righteous-chicken/334585
5. [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/
6. [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
7. [indyweek.com, 2023] Founder of Rise and Fast Casual Innovator Has Died | https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/founder-rise-and-fast-casual-innovator-has-died/
8. [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026] Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken, Best Dang Biscuits & Beyond | https://risebiscuitschicken.com/
9. [Fransmart] The Story Behind the Famous Rise Biscuits Told By CEO Tom Ferguson | https://fransmart.com/the-story-behind-rises-famous-biscuits/
10. [QSR Magazine, 2023] Founder of Rise and Fast Casual Innovator Has Died | https://qsrmagazine.com/fast-casual/founder-rise-and-fast-casual-innovator-has-died
11. [IBISWorld, 2024] Fast Casual Restaurants in the US | https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/fast-casual-restaurants-industry/
12. [Statista, 2024] Chicken restaurant sales in the United States from 2013 to 2023 | https://www.statista.com/statistics/196614/sales-of-chicken-restaurants-in-the-us-since-2010/