Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken recognizes accomplishments from the brand’s most successful year to date

SHALIMAR, FL (Dec. 6, 2021) – More than 100 restaurant owners, operators and corporate team members took part in the recent Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken annual brand conference that recognized individual accomplishments and the brand's most successful year yet. This was the first annual meeting since Artemis Lane Partners became the new owners of the heritage brand that was originally founded in 1966 by "the Colonel's" nephew Lee Cummings and business partner Harold Omer.

"High-quality products, a passionate and experienced group of restaurant owners, and loyal customers are the core of what brought my partners and I to Lee's earlier this year. We are committed to investing in the business for the long-term and are continuing to see the brand experience record sales, all while introducing new products and starting on a path back towards annual net unit growth," says Lee's CEO Ryan Weaver. "The theme for this annual meeting was 'The Future is Famous' with growth news on the horizon for the brand, but we more importantly wanted to take the time to recognize the accomplishments of our restaurant owners and team members who work so diligently to operate the 131 Lee's locations in the U.S. and Canada every day."

Lee’s National Meeting headlines include:

• Record system-wide sales of approximately $190 million and same-store-sales growth of 13% in 2020
• Continued momentum with 2021 year-to-date same-store sales growth of over 10%
• Some 32 stores received Superior Sales Awards which were awarded for achieving top quartile sales across the system during 2020.
• More than 25 stores garnered Sales Growth Awards for achieving 20 percent or better year-over-year sales growth for 2020.
• Rising Star Award went to Ryan and Wanda Hoehn, owners of the Lee’s restaurant in Wapakoneta, OH, for achieving the highest year-over-year sales growth of any unit in the system in 2020
• Pace Setter Award was given to Henry Loving, owner of the Lee’s restaurant in Richmond, VA, in recognition of being the highest volume unit in the system in 2020, and setting the record for highest annual unit sales to date for the Lee’s brand.
• Legacy Award was presented to the Yohe family, former owners of the two restaurants in Lima, OH. This award honored the Yohe family, the first Lee’s franchisees dating back to 1966, for their contributions to building the Lee’s brand over multiple generations of family ownership.

Along with awards and recognitions, Weaver shared with participants insights about the challenges facing the QSR industry as a whole and plans for moving Lee's forward with an overview of future growth plans and his vision for the Lee’s brand.

About Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken

For more than 55 years Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken, a casual dining franchise founded in Lima, Ohio, has specialized in fresh, never frozen chicken. Today, there are 131 Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken locations in 12 U.S. states and in Canada, the majority of which are individually owned and operated. For additional information, please visit LeesFamousRecipe.com.