The sale affects 12 GZK-owned Lee’s Famous Recipe franchises in the Dayton region. All locations remain open, and all employees have been retained, said Christine Koeller, a company spokeswoman.
“Although the Lee’s Famous Recipe brand has been a valuable part of the GZK business since 1968, this sale allows us the opportunity to focus on growing our Arby’s brand,” said Neil Kaufman, GZK president and chief executive, in a statement.
GZK sold the Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken brand to two former employees, who “bring a great deal of experience and passion to the Lee’s brand,” Kaufman said.
Founded in 1959, GZK owns and operates 30 Arby’s restaurants in the greater Dayton region.
A separate franchise company, FRFC Springfield Inc., operates seven Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken locations in Springfield, Piqua, Sidney, New Carlisle and Bellfontaine.
Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken was founded in 1966 in Lima, Ohio, by Lee Cummings, the nephew of KFC founder Col. Harlan Sanders. The company is now headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and has more than 140 locations in 13 U.S. states.
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