Tasty and healthy Southern-style fresh food, made from scratch and served up fast and casual. That’s the whole concept behind Chicken Salad Chick, set to celebrate the grand opening of its Brooksville location on March 29th.
Owned locally by Paul and Lindsay Rohr of Simply Southern Pinellas Group, the 13659 Tundra Drive location of Chicken Salad Chick marks the 35th eatery of this popular national restaurant to open across Florida and the fifth for these local franchise owners–who also own ‘Chicks’ in Palm Harbor, Seminole, Trinity, and St. Petersburg.
To mark the grand opening of their Brooksville restaurant, there are four days of giveaways planned, including the gift of free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 people in line on grand opening day, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 29th.
Yet for Paul and Linsay Rohr, the benefits that their business intends to offer the Hernando County community go far beyond grand opening giveaways.
“We wanted to choose a franchise that matched our personality and interests. Above all, we wanted to offer healthy food,” explained Paul Rohr. “We didn’t want to offer burgers, pizza, or greasy fast food.”
With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches, and desserts, Chicken Salad Chick’s menu places a definite emphasis on healthful eating. This was particularly important to Paul Rohr, who previously served for more than 20 years in the cardiac health division of Morton Plant Mease.
“When you see the effects of a poor diet,” he said, “You want to serve good food. And particularly as the parents of three young children, my wife and I wanted to own a restaurant where we could bring our own children to eat.”
Yet for the Rohrs, the menu is only one vital component of the entire Chicken Salad Chick experience.
“The best way to describe the atmosphere at Chicken Salad Chick is Southern hospitality,” said Paul Rohr. “This business is closed on Sunday, which is important to us as Christians. This is a place for families.”
After initially learning about this franchise opportunity, the Rohrs quickly ‘bought in’ in 2016–soon investing in four other Chick locations in Palm Harbor, Seminole, St. Pete, and Trinity. And Lindsay, in particular–who recently claimed an award of honor from her restaurant’s national headquarters–is known for being a hands-on presence at Chicken Salad Chick, working in the kitchen on many days to personally supervise the creation of freshly cooked, homemade-style chicken salad dishes.
In the view of Paul Rohr, the traditional down-home appeal of Chicken Salad Chick–which comes complete with an accessible drive-thru and a very homey large, covered patio–makes it an ideal addition to the Brooksville restaurant scene.
“We live in Palm Harbor,” he explained. “And after visiting Brooksville, we fell in love with the city. We love the traditional hometown feel.”
As another added bonus, the Rohrs’ involvement in this franchise also allowed them to express their philanthropic side, as all Chicken Salad Chick owners are encouraged to give back to charity–and to the communities they serve.
As an Army veteran, Paul Rohr’s charity of choice was the Folds of Honor Foundation, a charity that provides scholarships to the children of fallen or disabled military veterans. To date, the Rohrs have donated more than $75,000 to the organization–with more sizable donations soon to come. During the grand opening week in Brooksville, a donation station will be available for guests to contribute to the cause.
