Julie & Scott Beville are individuals who embody the spirit of franchising – knowing that franchising isn’t just about business, it’s about the people you can impact through your franchise. While they never expected to land in the franchise industry, they have found their stride as strong entrepreneurs paving the way as industry leaders. They are a team that prioritizes people-first, customer service, community, and teamwork.
Today, the Beville’s portfolio boasts 17 open restaurants with several more in development, staking claim as the largest franchisee in the Chicken Salad Chick system. They are entering a high-growth period while their existing stores continue to achieve strong performance – breaking best-day records more than five times in 2022.
The Beginning
As a mother of three, Julie devoted 100 percent of her time to raising her children. When her friends shared the details of the franchise opportunity with her, she and her husband began looking into the brand and became inspired by Stacy Brown, Founder of Chicken Salad Chick. Brown is also a mother to three children, and her mission is to spread joy, enrich lives, and serve others.
This resonated with Bevilles and solidified their life-changing decision to join the Chick family as franchise owners. Julie and Scott, and long-time friend Michelle Singleton, started Sing Bev Hospitality LLC as a franchisee team. Since opening their first Chicken Salad Chick location in Greenville, SC in 2013, the team has grown the brand rapidly throughout the Carolinas. Over the decade they’ve spent in business, there has been a high level of community value their restaurants continue to bring to the table.
In their first year as a franchisee, they were the recipient of the Chicken Salad Chick’s Franchisee of the Year Award. Fast forward to 2022, and they become the first franchisee to win the award twice in brand history.
Embracing Vulnerability
While vulnerability is typically viewed as a weakness, the Bevilles embraced this quality as first-time business owners, and leveraged it as a key advantage.
By humbling themselves as first-time entrepreneurs, they sought out mentors to ask the right questions, learn from previous mistakes, and build a remarkable support system to guide them through the challenges and opportunities of small business ownership – ultimately setting them on a path toward success.
Embracing vulnerability has created long-term benefits as well. It has allowed the Bevilles to be authentic and genuine in their interactions personally and professionally. This authenticity has fostered trust and connection with others, including team members and customers. It has also helped create a positive company culture that encourages open communication, collaboration, and innovation – creating an all-encompassing “we’re in it together team mentality.”
Recipe for Success
The key to their success has been their team – which they refer to as ‘internal guests.’ They truly lead with a people-first mentality. Knowing that their team is their greatest asset, they invest in them and provide them with growth experiences that allow them to maximize their full potential.
While retention is rare in the restaurant space, more than half their leadership team (general managers/assistant general managers) has been with them for more than five years – a true testament to the culture they’ve built.
In addition to best serving their people, the Bevilles prioritize community giveback. They are always looking for new ways to be in the community and leverage their businesses to support various organizations, schools, and more. For example, for more than five years, they have partnered with Let There Be Mom, a Greenville, SC-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving local moms and dads who are battling life-threatening illnesses. By hosting dine-out nights, a portion of the proceeds goes back to the organization, where they can then use the funds for impactful initiatives that create shared experiences for the families. Over the years, they have raised thousands of dollars for this organization and plan to continue to grow the partnership.
Continued Growth
Sing Bev Hospitality are proud of all they have accomplished with their businesses, the people who work alongside them, and the immense support they have received from the Chicken Salad Chick home office. The latest addition to their growing Chicken Salad Chick portfolio was the opening of a third location in the Charleston area in late February of this year. These franchise partners have experienced plenty of success, and their future is sure to be very bright.
They have become standout ambassadors representing Chicken Salad Chick by leaning into the values and missions created by the Founder.