Brand strengthens development leadership as it enters its 60th anniversary with focus on expansion
SHALIMAR, FL, UNITED STATES, February 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken, the classic fried chicken brand celebrating 60 years of famous flavor, has named Collin Donnelly Vice President of Growth & Development. The appointment marks a strategic step in the brand’s plan to accelerate restaurant growth and franchise development, emphasizing its commitment to the enhanced restaurant design work completed in 2025.
In his role, Donnelly will work closely with Chief Development Officer Logan Sumner and the Field Leadership Team to support new restaurant openings, strengthen operational processes and maximize franchisee profitability. He will oversee initiatives to enhance unit economics and streamline development processes to supportmulti-unit growth.
“We are excited to welcome Collin to our leadership team and further strengthen our development bench,” said Ryan Weaver, CEO of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. “His growth mindset and proven ability to build scalable teams and systems will be instrumental as we continue to grow across existing and emerging markets.”
Donnelly brings extensive multi-unit and franchise experience to Lee’s. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Gym Growth for Crunch Fitness, a global fitness franchise with more than 500 locations worldwide. In that role, he oversaw construction, new unit openings, learning and development, and talent acquisition, supporting the brand’s domestic and international expansion.
Earlier in his career, Donnelly spent a decade with Take 5 Oil Change, playing a key role in scaling the brand to more than 1,000 units and helping grow the Take 5 Car Wash concept to over 400 locations. Starting as a technician, he advanced through the organization to Vice President of Operational Excellence, where he led initiatives to improve processes, develop training programs, grow membership, and create infrastructure that drove margin expansion.
“I’m honored to join Lee’s during such a milestone year and an exciting period of growth,” said
Collin Donnelly, Vice President of Growth & Development for Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. “As I join the Famous Family, my focus is simple, continuing to expand our growth sustainably while making it easier for our teams to deliver a world-class experience for our guests while supporting sustainable growth.”
As Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken celebrates its 60th anniversary, the brand continues to advance its development pipeline and attract new franchise partners seeking a proven, community-driven restaurant concept with a loyal guest following. Interested in joining the Famous Family? Learn more at http://www.leesfamousrecipe.com/franchise.
About Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
For 60 years, Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken, a quick service franchise founded in Lima, Ohio, has specialized in fresh, never frozen chicken. Lee’s has been recognized for three years in a row as a top 10 Fast Food Fried Chicken by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award. Today, there are more than 130 Lee’s Famous Recipe® Chicken locations in 12 U.S. states and in Canada, most are individually owned and operated. For additional information, please visit LeesFamousRecipe.com.
Brianne Barbakoff
Ink Link Marketing
brianne@inklinkmarketing.com
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