Kendal Potesta, 37

Though Kendal Potesta became a first-time franchisee in 2022, she started off looking more like a franchise vet than a newbie. The first Chicken Salad Chick location she and her husband, Scott Pace, opened in Fort Myers broke the opening day sales record among the company’s 220+ restaurants. Their Port Charlotte location earned Chicken Salad Chick’s No. 1 spot in sales volume during its grand opening week in January 2023.

“We’ve got a really good following,” she says. “We always say once you’ve tried the food, you’re kind of hooked.”

Potesta was named 2023 Developer of the Year for the entire Chicken Salad Chick franchise and was honored for opening three restaurants in under four months, the first to achieve such an accomplishment. But she’s only getting started. The couple plan to open three more Southwest Florida locations and three to five restaurants in the Central Florida territory they own north of Orlando.