Love & Honey Fried Chicken’s signature sandwiches, tenders and wings are coming to University City next year, when the company prepares to launch its first franchise location.
Todd and Laura Lyons, the owners of the Northern Liberties takeout spot, announced plans to franchise in February. Nafee Hossain will run the new outpost, which is expected to open in early 2024.
Hossain, who grew up in Philadelphia after immigrating from Bangladesh as a boy, has a background in tech sales and business development. He holds a degree from Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business.
“I am thrilled to join the Love & Honey Fried Chicken family as a new franchisee,” he said in a statement. “Upon discovering Love & Honey Fried Chicken, I was immediately captivated by how loyal of a customer base the restaurant has. You can tell there’s something special about this brand that Todd and Laura built from the ground up, and I am thrilled about the opportunity to replicate the magic they’ve created in Northern Liberties across town in University City.”
Hossain’s spot will have seating for customers to dine in, marking a departure from the original restaurant. The 800-square-foot flagship location, which opened in 2017, shifted to takeout only during the COVID-19 pandemic to accommodate more equipment. Love & Honey has continued to serve customers through its pickup window and DoorDash ever since. It currently sells almost 600 sandwiches and 750 pounds of chicken tenders per week, representing a 20% sales growth for three consecutive years, the company said.
Prior to opening Love & Honey, the Lyons studied at the Culinary Institute of America. Todd worked as a chef for Aramark at Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, while Laura worked in brand building and food marketing for Le Cordon Bleu and the Culinary Institute of America.
The couple aims to open six new locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey in the coming years, each with space in the range of 1,200 to 2,000 square feet. They are actively recruiting “fellow entrepreneurs and fried chicken enthusiasts” in those states to join their franchise program.
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