WA brand Chicken Treat opens first Sydney store amid plans for 33 more locations

Western Australian restaurant brand Chicken Treat’s east coast expansion plans have finally come to fruition this year, with the popular fast food chain opening the doors to its first Sydney stores.

Chicken Treat’s first Sydney restaurant opened this week at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney to rave reviews.

Another location will follow in mid-December, with Chicken Treat’s Crows Nest restaurant on Sydney’s North Shore set to open for business.

Speaking with SmartCompany, Chicken Treat CEO Mimma Battista, who has been at the helm for eight years, confirmed the Sydney restaurants are part of an ambitious plan to open 33 stores around the country in 24 months.

The expansion comes after years of planning and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By June 2023, Chicken Treat will add another nine restaurants in locations across Australia. Each franchised store will be locally owned and operated by a member of the community.

Battista says the company is concentrating on expanding to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory at the moment, with two stores coming to the ACT in the first half of next year.

However, Chicken Treat also has Victoria and Queensland in its sights, with market reviews and time to tell whether the brand will also make the move to those parts of Australia. 

Battista says she has made it her mission to bring the brand to more Australians. 

“The feedback we’ve received from our Eastern Creek customers since opening on Monday has been outstanding and we’re so happy they’re getting to experience what WA locals have loved for decades.”

Battista says the brand underwent an overhaul in preparation for its national launch, which was one of the reasons it had chosen to expand now. 

“We’ve seen hospitality businesses hit hard by COVID-19, and prior to that, WA experienced tough economic times, but Chicken Treat is thriving, with continued strong growth over the past five years,” she said. 

“Part of that is due to the fact we’ve contemporised Chicken Treat and when you come into store, you’ll see we have fun with the brand and with the food but we’re serious about quality and taste.”

Chicken Treat was first launched in WA in 1976 and now operates more than 55 stores throughout the state. The brand is owned by Craveable Brands, the same parent company as Red Rooster and Oporto. 

Battista says when she became CEO of Chicken Treat, she worked to contemporise the brand, which included transforming the menus and store designs.

“At Chicken Treat, you won’t see regular menu items like you might at other chicken restaurants — we are all about food innovation, with delicious and fun menu items like our Baconary burger, Jalapeno cheesy bites, and mac and cheese balls,” she said. 

“At Chicken Treat, we’ve made it our mission to be unique.”