With construction plans in review for Slim Chickens to develop a restaurant with a patio and drive-thru in Glen Kernan Park, the city also is reviewing a permit application for horizontal development at the 1.1-acre site for the project.
The pending construction permit carries an estimated project cost of $1.1 million while the site-work job is estimated at $400,000.
The almost 3,000-square-foot project could comprise a stand-alone restaurant at 4955 Sweetgrass Place at northwest Hodges and Butler boulevards.
The 48.5-acre Glen Kernan Park is in development for residential and retail uses.
The Fayetteville, Arkansas-based fast-casual Slim Chickens restaurant franchise serves made-to-order chicken wings and tenders, chicken and waffles, chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, fries, kids’ meals, family meals and more.
Slim Chickens said it has distinguished itself in the “better-chicken” segment by offering high-quality food and 17 housemade dipping sauces.
Harrison French and Associates Ltd. Of Bentonville, Arkansas, is the architect for the Jacksonville project. Maverick Engineering of Saint Johns is the agent and civil engineer.
WFO Construction Inc., with an office in Jacksonville, is listed as the contractor for the horizontal work that includes earthwork, utilities, asphalt, concrete and landscaping.
In May 2023, the city issued a mobility fee calculation certificate for Slim Chickens to develop on a vacant parcel in Glen Kernan Park.
It appears to be the franchise’s first Jacksonville location in Northeast Florida.
As the franchise owners, Angelo and Kimberly Crowell, through Kalo Holdings LLC of Tallahassee, paid almost $1.44 million in February 2023 for the site to develop the restaurant. SmartBank in Tallahassee issued a mortgage for $934,362. Glen Kernan Park LLC sold the property.
The land, construction and clearing costs total $2.94 million.
The construction permit application also shows that Tribe Management LLC, led by Rob Atkisson of Tallahassee, also is a franchisee. State corporate records show that Crowell and Atkisson are managers of Kalo Tribe Ventures LLC, created in 2021 and based in Tallahassee.
Crowell spent seven years in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills (2003-09) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-10).
Angelo and Kimberly Crowell registered Kalo Restaurant Group LLC with the state in October 2009 and Kalo Holdings LLC in May 2012.
KaloCompanies.com says that since opening its first location in 2010, Team Kalo has grown its ownership of Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurant franchises to 68 stores in Alabama, Florida and Georgia with a goal to reach 75 units by the end of 2024.
In 2022 Kalo expanded to two brands, adding Slim Chickens to the Kalo Companies portfolio, now operating two in Tallahassee and five across the Florida Panhandle.
Clint Murphy, president of Jacksonville-based Murphy Land and Retail Services Inc., represents the Crowells as the approved Slim Chickens operators for Northeast Florida in the site search. He said Atkisson is a minority franchise partner.
Slim Chickens was founded in 2003. There are 14 restaurants in Florida among about 200 units in 34 states. There also are locations in the United Kingdom and other international sites.
The closest restaurant to Jacksonville is in Tallahassee.
Slimchickens.com lists four more locations in four states as coming soon, but Jacksonville is not identified.
Slimchickensfranchise.com says it has more than 1,200 units in development and more than 270 units opened.