Lee's Operator Turns 15 Years Into a Six-Unit Deal

Harris Mullis spent more than 15 years running a single Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken restaurant in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Now he has signed a six-unit deal to build across the Charlotte region, with the first new store set to open by the end of July. The move turns a long-tenured single-unit owner into one of the brand's multi-unit operators.

Why Franchisors Court Their Own Veterans

Lee's, founded in 1966 and bought by Artemis Lane Partners in 2021, has rebuilt its support, technology, and brand look under CEO Ryan Weaver. Promoting an existing operator like Mullis lowers risk because he already knows the food, the labor model, and the local market. Weaver said the brand wants partners who can commit to five to 20 units, and a proven owner is the cleanest path into that range.

Scaling From One Store to Six

Mullis hired a business coach and leaned on other multi-unit owners before signing, because running six stores demands systems a single location never tested. He points to process, training, and accountability as the difference between adding units and adding problems. Cash flow discipline shaped his timing, since he wanted capital in place before committing rather than stretching thin across openings.

What the Deal Signals for the Southeast

About 90 percent of Lee's locations sit in the Midwest, so Mullis represents the brand's bet on Southeast white space. His existing equity in the Charlotte market gives the chain a recognized operator to build around instead of an unknown newcomer. For the brand, the early openings will test whether Midwest economics travel south.