Rooster & Rice is a fast-casual restaurant franchise founded in 2015 in the San Francisco Bay Area by Bryan Lew and Chef Thomas Charoen. The brand is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. The franchisor, Rooster & Rice Franchise, LLC, began offering franchises in May 2021.
Rooster & Rice serves a focused menu built around the Thai dish khao mun gai, featuring poached chicken, seasoned rice, and a signature sauce. The concept emphasizes simple, clean, and balanced meals presented in a streamlined fast-casual format.
Rooster & Rice differentiates itself through its chef-driven roots, minimalist menu, and efficient operating model designed to lower labor and overhead. Its single-dish strategy creates strong brand identity while allowing consistent quality across locations. This positioning gives the franchise a unique place within the Asian fast-casual market.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Rooster & Rice provides a thorough training program designed to prepare franchisees for successful business operations. The training is structured to cover essential business functions and ensure that the franchisee and key personnel understand the brand’s standards and operational methods. Here are the main components of the training:
Rooster & Rice grants franchisees a designated territory for their business operations, known as the “Approved Territory.” Within this area, the franchisor agrees not to license another Rooster & Rice business location, provided the franchisee remains in compliance with their agreement.
However, the territory is not exclusive in the broader sense—franchisees may still face competition from other franchisees, company-owned outlets, or alternate distribution channels controlled by the franchisor.
The franchisor retains the right to sell products online, through mail orders, or other future forms of commerce within the same area. Additionally, they may operate or license other business concepts under different trademarks, even if those concepts offer similar or competing products.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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