Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken

PUBLIC

Name	Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
Tagline	A fast-casual restaurant franchise specializing in southern-style biscuits, fried chicken, and breakfast items.
Headquarters	Durham, NC, USA
Founded	2012
Stage	Other
Business Model	Franchise
Industry	E-commerce / Retail
Technology	No Technology Component
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	SMB / Main Street
Founding Team	Tom Ferguson, Brian Wiles

Links

PUBLIC

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

Executive Summary

PUBLIC

Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken is a fast-casual restaurant franchise concept that has carved a distinct niche in the crowded quick-service market by focusing exclusively on Southern-style biscuits and fried chicken, a positioning that merits attention for its clear differentiation and demonstrated unit-level economics. 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, leveraging a specific culinary heritage as its wedge into the breakfast and lunch dayparts [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] [Franchise Chatter, February 2021]. Its core offering is a menu of biscuits, chicken, and breakfast items available all day, distributed through a franchise model that requires an estimated $410,000 to $619,000 initial investment from operators [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026]. The founding team brought culinary credibility and restaurant operations experience, though the unexpected death of CEO Tom Ferguson in February 2022 introduced a significant leadership transition that the franchise system must now navigate [Restaurant Business Online] [indyweek.com, 2023]. The business model is capital-light from a corporate perspective, generating revenue from a $35,000 initial franchise fee and ongoing royalties of 5% of gross sales plus a 2% marketing fee, rather than relying on traditional venture equity rounds [Entrepreneur, 2025]. Over the next 12-18 months, the key watchpoints are the system's ability to maintain growth momentum and franchisee health under new leadership, the scalability of its regional Southern concept into new geographies, and whether average unit volumes, which reached $934,619 in gross revenue in 2022, can be sustained or improved [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

Company Overview

PUBLIC

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, a model it adopted early and which defines its operational and financial structure [Entrepreneur, 2025].

Key milestones trace a path of gradual regional expansion. The brand signed a notable multi-unit franchise agreement in March 2020, an expansion move announced by its franchise development partner Fransmart even as the global COVID-19 crisis began [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, according to a franchise directory listing [Entrepreneur, 2025].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core facts (founding year, HQ, founder identity) are confirmed, but some milestone dates rely on single-source trade press.

Product and Technology

MIXED The product is a fast-casual restaurant experience centered on a specific culinary niche, with a franchise model as its primary operational technology. Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken's menu is its core offering, featuring southern-style biscuits, fried chicken, and breakfast items available all day [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026]. The company describes this as "Southern Biscuits, Righteous Chicken and Sweet Stuff all day long" [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026]. The operational model is a franchise system, where the company provides the brand, menu, and support to independent operators in exchange for fees [Entrepreneur, 2025].

Beyond the core food service, the company has integrated some digital and operational technology. Some locations have adopted locker technology for order pickup, a feature noted in partnership materials with franchise development firm Fransmart [Fransmart, retrieved 2026]. This suggests an effort to modernize the customer experience for off-premise consumption, a trend accelerated across the restaurant industry. The company's website facilitates online ordering for specific locations, indicating a standard e-commerce layer for direct consumer transactions [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026].

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

Market Research

PUBLIC The fast-casual breakfast and chicken segment has demonstrated resilience, with consumer demand for convenience and comfort food persisting through economic cycles, a dynamic that supports franchise expansion models.

Quantifying the total addressable market for a niche concept like Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken requires looking at adjacent, publicly reported categories. The broader U.S. fast-casual restaurant market was valued at approximately $125 billion in 2024, according to industry analysis [IBISWorld, 2024]. Within that, the specific breakfast and biscuit-focused quick-service segment is smaller but has shown consistent growth. For context, the U.S. chicken restaurant segment, which includes major competitors like Chick-fil-A and Bojangles, generated over $50 billion in sales in 2023 [Statista, 2024]. Rise's serviceable obtainable market is effectively 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].

Key demand drivers for this category are well-documented. Consumer preference for convenience and speed of service continues to favor the fast-casual format. There is also a sustained cultural and culinary interest in regional, Southern-inspired cuisine, which provides a point of differentiation for brands like Rise. Furthermore, the franchise model itself is a significant tailwind, as it attracts entrepreneurial operators seeking established brands, a trend noted in franchise development reports [Entrepreneur, 2025]. The company's partnership with Fransmart, a franchise development firm, is a direct play on this driver [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020].

The brand operates at the intersection of several adjacent and substitute markets. Its all-day breakfast menu competes with broader breakfast chains, while its fried chicken offerings place it in direct competition with regional and national chicken specialists. A key adjacent market is the growing 'fast-casual biscuit' niche, which has seen increased consumer interest and limited national consolidation, creating an opportunity for focused brands. Substitute markets include at-home meal preparation, grocery store prepared foods, and delivery-only virtual restaurants, though the in-restaurant experience remains a core part of Rise's value proposition.

Regulatory and macro forces are standard for the restaurant industry. Labor cost inflation and supply chain volatility for core ingredients like poultry and flour directly impact unit-level economics. Minimum wage increases at the state and local level are a persistent pressure. On the consumer side, any downturn in discretionary spending could affect traffic, though the fast-cual breakfast daypart has historically been less volatile than dinner. There are no technology-specific regulations material to the business.

Average Franchisee Gross Revenue (2022) | 0.934619 | $M
Franchise Investment Range | 0.619 | $M
Initial Franchise Fee | 0.035 | $M

The available unit economics data, while limited to a single year's gross revenue figure, suggests a franchise model capable of generating nearly $1 million in annual sales per location [QSR Magazine]. The required investment sits in the mid-range for a QSR franchise, positioning it for operators with moderate capital.

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.

Competitive Landscape

MIXED Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken operates in a mature, brand-dense segment where competition is defined by regional loyalty, operational scale, and menu specialization.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator	Source
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 for franchise development.	[Entrepreneur, 2025]
Bojangles	Major regional quick-service chain known for Cajun-seasoned chicken, biscuits, and iced tea.	Private, large franchise system.	Deeply entrenched in the Southeast with strong breakfast and lunch dayparts; significant scale and brand recognition.	[Competitor]
Chick-fil-A	National fast-food leader focused on chicken sandwiches, with a strong brand and operational discipline.	Private, unique operator-license model.	Industry-leading unit volumes and customer loyalty; closed on Sundays; limited but highly successful menu.	[Competitor]
Biscuitville	Regional chain concentrated in the Carolinas and Virginia, specializing in made-from-scratch biscuits.	Private, primarily company-owned.	Hyper-focused on the breakfast daypart with a reputation for fresh, Southern-style biscuits; strong local identity.	[Competitor]
Krystal	Southern fast-food chain known for small, square burgers and breakfast items.	Private, franchise model.	Broader fast-food menu beyond chicken; established presence in the Southeast with a value-oriented positioning.	[Competitor]

The competitive map for fast-casual Southern food is sharply divided by daypart and protein focus. Incumbents like Chick-fil-A dominate the chicken sandwich category at a national scale, while regional specialists like Bojangles and Biscuitville have carved out defensible territories with breakfast and seasoned chicken. Rise's positioning as a biscuits-and-chicken concept that serves its core menu all day places it in direct, if narrower, competition with Bojangles' breakfast/lunch overlap and against the breakfast-focused strength of Biscuitville. Adjacent substitutes include broader QSR chains offering chicken biscuits as a limited-time offering, but these lack the dedicated operational focus that defines the core competitors.

Rise's defensible edge today lies in its franchise partnership and focused menu. Its development agreement with Fransmart, a known franchise accelerator, provides a professional channel for expansion that many smaller regional concepts lack [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020]. The all-day availability of its signature biscuits and chicken is a specific operational wedge against competitors who may relegate such items to breakfast-only hours. This edge is perishable, however. It depends on maintaining franchisee unit economics that attract new operators, a task made harder if average gross sales, reported at $934,619 in 2022, fail to keep pace with inflation or competitor promotions [QSR Magazine, 2023].

The company is most exposed on two fronts: scale and brand heritage. Competitors like Chick-fil-A and Bojangles command marketing budgets and site selection advantages that a 23-unit chain cannot match [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026]. Furthermore, in a segment where tradition and authenticity are marketing assets, the 2012 founding date of Rise and the 2022 passing of its founding chef, Tom Ferguson, may challenge its narrative of Southern heritage against chains with decades of history [Restaurant Business Online] [indyweek.com, 2023]. The lack of a clear technological or data advantage, beyond some locations using locker systems for order pickup, leaves it competing purely on traditional restaurant execution [Fransmart, retrieved 2026].

The most plausible 18-month scenario is one of consolidation within the niche. If consumer demand for premium breakfast and chicken combos remains strong, Rise could be a winner, using its Fransmart partnership to secure multi-unit deals in new markets outside the core Southeast. The loser in that case would be smaller, independent biscuit concepts without a franchise engine. Conversely, if economic pressures squeeze discretionary spending, Rise could be a loser, as franchisees may find the $410,000-$619,000 investment range difficult to justify against the lower perceived risk of a Chick-fil-A license or a Bojangles franchise [Franchise Grade, retrieved 2026]. The verdict will hinge on the company's ability to demonstrate that its unit economics are not just a 2022 snapshot but a durable model.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor positioning is inferred from public brand profiles; specific metrics for competitors are not sourced. Rise's own metrics are confirmed by franchise directories and trade press.

Opportunity

PUBLIC The prize for Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken is a regional-to-national fast-casual chain, leveraging a franchise model to build a network of several hundred units with a distinctive, high-margin menu.

The headline opportunity is the creation of a differentiated, mid-scale franchise system that captures a specific niche within the crowded fast-casual breakfast and chicken segment. The company's focus on southern-style biscuits and chicken, served all day, provides a clear point of differentiation from generic sandwich chains. The cited evidence suggests this outcome is reachable because the model has already demonstrated viable unit economics, with average franchisee gross revenue nearing $1 million in 2022 [QSR Magazine, 2023]. This financial performance provides a foundation for attracting new franchisees, which is the primary growth engine. The partnership with Fransmart, a professional franchise development firm, indicates a structured approach to scaling beyond founder-led sales [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020].

The path to scale hinges on executing one of several plausible expansion scenarios. The company's growth is not tied to a single monolithic bet but can advance through multiple, concrete channels.

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Regional Saturation	The brand becomes the dominant biscuits-and-chicken option in its home Southeast region, expanding from 23 units to over 100.	A successful multi-unit franchise agreement in a new metro area, similar to the deal signed in 2020 [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020].	The menu has inherent regional appeal, and the franchisor has demonstrated the ability to sign multi-unit deals. The investment range ($410k-$619k) is accessible for experienced QSR operators [Franchise Grade].
Daypart Expansion	Rise evolves from a breakfast/lunch spot to a full-day destination, significantly increasing average unit volumes.	The rollout of locker technology for order pickup, mentioned in some locations, which could facilitate dinner and late-night dayparts [Fransmart].	The company already markets its core menu as available "all day long" [risebiscuitschicken.com, retrieved 2026]. Operational adaptations like lockers address convenience, a key driver for later dayparts.

Compounding for a franchise business manifests as brand momentum and operator success. Each new location increases local market awareness, which reduces customer acquisition costs for future franchisees in adjacent territories. More importantly, a growing network of profitable franchisees serves as the most powerful sales tool for the franchisor. The published gross revenue figure acts as social proof, attracting a higher caliber of multi-unit operators. This creates a flywheel: strong unit economics attract better operators, who run better stores, which boosts brand reputation and attracts more operators. The partnership with Fransmart is an early indicator of leveraging professional sales channels to accelerate this cycle [RestaurantNews.com, March 2020].

The size of the win can be framed by looking at comparable franchise systems in the fast-casual chicken and breakfast segments. For instance, Bojangles, a public competitor also specializing in biscuits and chicken, operates over 800 locations. While a direct valuation multiple is not public for Rise, the economic model provides a lens. If the company reached 250 units,a plausible regional scale,and maintained the cited average gross revenue, system-wide sales could approach $250 million. In the franchise sector, valuations are often a multiple of royalty revenue. At a 5% royalty rate on that sales volume, the franchisor's top-line royalty income would be approximately $12.5 million annually. Comparable franchise sales often transact at multiples of 8-12x that royalty stream, suggesting a potential enterprise value in the $100-$150 million range if the regional saturation scenario plays out (scenario, not a forecast).

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key opportunity metrics (unit count, revenue) are from single trade publications; franchise economics are well-documented.

Sources

PUBLIC

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/