Type Fast Food Key people Frank Romano Website chickentreat.com.au Founded 1976 | Products Barbecue chicken Revenue 50 million AUD | |
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Parent organizations Australian Fast Foods Pty Limited, Quick Service Restaurant Holdings | ||
Chicken Treat is an Australian barbecue chicken fast food restaurant chain.
Contents
Stores
Chicken Treat has over 60 outlets within Western Australia, and two in Central Queensland. The company provides a range of rotisserie chicken, fried chicken and burger meals. Chicken Treat also offers catering services for families, groups and businesses.
History
The chain originated in 1976 in Perth, Western Australia and later expanded throughout Australia.
In 1989 Chicken Treat and its main east coast rival, Big Rooster, became allies as Australian Fast Foods Pty Limited. In early 2002, the parent company Australian Fast Foods purchased Red Rooster from Coles Myer. This was followed by a period of rebranding, changing existing stores outside of Western Australia from Chicken Treat to the more established Red Rooster brand, although there are a few areas where Red Rooster and Chicken Treat co-exist.
In April 2007 Red Rooster and Chicken Treat were sold by Australian Fast Foods for A$180 million to a consortium formed by the management and the venture capital arm of Westpac known as Quadrant Capital
In Early 2011 QSR Holdings acquired the Western Australian Chooks brand (formerly known as River Rooster), converting said stores into direct-service outlets with no drive-thru service. These stores all carry the newer Chicken Treat branding.
In June 2011 Archer Capital acquired Quick Service Restaurant Holdings (QSR) from Quadrant Private Equity for an estimated $450 million (including Red Rooster and Oporto).
In October 2015 the chain began using "Betty the Chicken" to run the company's Twitter account in an attempt to secure an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. The company now has over 8,000 followers as a result.
Logo and mascot
In the late 1990s the company began to use a CGI rooster as its official mascot, named Chicken Nick. It is now the focus of commercials and point of sale in store. The mascot is normally involved in a comical skit from surfing to Hula dancing, which is often a reference to the product being advertised at that time. During the first season of the reality TV series Big Brother, adverts replicated the 'bum dance' of Perth contestant Sara-Marie Fedele.
Local celebrities such as former Perth Wildcats star Ricky Grace have also been used in commercials and in more recent advertisements, a contestant from Australian Idol, Chris Murphy, provided a song.
In late 2009 Chicken Treat updated its logo and branding of some stores to appeal to a younger audience.