Krystal restaurant is an American fast-food brand founded in 1932 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by Rody Davenport, Jr., and J. Glenn Sherrill, with the ‘Krystal Kreed’: to operate a spotlessly clean establishment; to serve the best foods obtainable, properly cooked; to render quick, efficient, and courteous service; and to offer all these at the lowest prices possible. Krystal has stuck closely to its original creed through eight decades of successful operation, and has expanded to a series of locations across the American South. The brand is often compared to the Midwestern fast-food chain White Castle.
Information
Krystal, the oldest fast-food restaurant chain in the American South (and second-oldest in the United States), is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company has more than 450 restaurants, most franchise-owned, in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The restaurants have become known for their sparkling clean surroundings, friendly service and fresh, delicious food. It’s difficult to find someone who lives in the South who has not enjoyed a delicious Krystal meal.
History Krystal was opened amid hard financial times, in the beginning of the Great Depression, 1932, at the corner of Seventh and Cherry Streets in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Founders Rody Davenport, Jr., and J. Glenn Sherrill believed that despite economic upheaval, people would frequent a restaurant that was spotlessly clean, provided courteous service and offered a good meal and a good price. The restaurant became an overnight success, known for its Krystal square burgers and yummy French fries. Among the first restaurants to serve food ‘to go,’ Krystal opened its first drive-through window in the 1950s and the restaurants retain that feature today. |
Krystal Franchise Cost / Initial Investment / Krystal Franchise Income
The franchise fee for a Krystal restaurant is $32,500. The total investment ranges from $900,000 to $1.3 million. A royalty fee of 4.5% of gross monthly receipts is paid to the company.
Other Information
Krystal restaurants are known also for their competitive eating contests, such as the Krystal Square Off, an annual high-profile event in which competitors eat as many burgers as they can. The current world record is 103 Krystal burgers chowed down in eight minutes, by Joey Chestnut, on October 28, 2007.
