Daddy’s Chicken Shack has been acquired by Esperto Hospitality Group, a New Jersey-based fine dining operator that previously held a regional developer agreement with the franchise brand. The transaction transfers ownership from Area 15 Ventures, the investment firm linked to RE/MAX co-founder Dave Liniger, and launches a full concept relaunch targeting the East Coast, beginning in New Jersey in Q3 2026.
Chef Pace Webb founded Daddy’s Chicken Shack in Pasadena, California in 2018. The brand built an initial footprint before Area 15 Ventures acquired it and began franchising the concept nationally. Esperto Hospitality Group was among the original regional developers, holding a multi-unit territory agreement before ultimately taking over full brand ownership. The acquisition and relaunch details were announced May 28, 2026, with the first location under new ownership targeted for Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
Esperto Moves from Regional Developer to Brand Owner
The path from regional developer to full ownership is an unusual one in franchising, and it reflects Esperto’s depth of familiarity with the brand prior to the acquisition. “Esperto was one of our original regional developers and one of our groups that has had a long history of hospitality,” notes Ryan Murrin, Chief Marketing Officer of Esperto Hospitality Group. The New Jersey-based company operates fine dining restaurants in the region, giving it an operational base and existing hospitality infrastructure to draw on as it relaunches the fast-casual chicken concept. The transition from passive developer to brand owner also gives Esperto direct control over the concept’s positioning, menu, store design, and franchisee selection.
A Smaller Footprint and a Simplified Menu
Under Esperto’s ownership, Daddy’s Chicken Shack is being repositioned with a significantly reduced physical footprint and a streamlined menu. The new store format targets 1,400 to 1,800 square feet, down from the prior model’s 2,600 to 2,800 square feet. The smaller format is designed to lower build-out costs and expand the range of viable real estate options, a trend seen across multiple fast-casual brands that have reconfigured their formats since the pandemic reset commercial real estate dynamics. The brand has adopted a new tagline, “A Little Cocky, For Good Reason,” signaling a sharper brand identity to accompany the physical repositioning. The first new location in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is planned to open in Q3 2026.
Fifty Units of Developer Pipeline Came with the Deal
Five regional developers, each holding 10-unit contracts, carried over from Area 15 Ventures as part of the acquisition. The agreements cover territories across the East Coast as well as markets in Houston, Los Angeles, and Austin. Collectively, those commitments represent a pipeline of 50 units before any additional franchisee recruitment by Esperto. The coverage spread suggests the brand’s development footprint extends well beyond its New Jersey relaunch market, with significant commitments already in place on both coasts and in Texas. How many of those agreements convert to executed franchise agreements and opened locations will determine the brand’s actual growth pace under new ownership.
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