Fast-casual chicken chain PDQ on Long Island rebrands as Chick & Tender

Local owners of fast-casual chicken chain PDQ have ended their franchise agreements and rebranded the business as Chick & Tender to grow its name recognition, local ownership said.

The former PDQs, in Farmingdale and Westbury, officially ceased operations on Monday and last Wednesday, respectively, after first coming to the Island in 2019, said Long Island franchise co-owner Dean Poll, who owns both restaurants. The two locations have quickly rebranded as Chick & Tender and are now wholly owned, Island-based restaurants, Poll said.

Officials with PDQ, based in Tampa, Florida, did not respond to requests for comment.

Poll, who owns the well-known Gallagher’s Steakhouse in Manhattan and its sister location in Boca Raton, Florida, said the change was made on friendly terms, and was a result of brand recognition in the Long Island market.

Many Island customers weren’t clear what PDQ was — an acronym standing for People Dedicated to Quality — and given the chain’s focus on its home market, Poll said a change was needed.

“When people saw PDQ, they didn’t know if it was a hair salon or a luggage store, so that’s why we choose Chick & Tender,” Poll said. As a result, he and business partner Tom Fanning approached PDQ co-founder Bob Basham to end the franchise.

Basham, who co-founded PDQ in 2011 with partner Nick Reader, CEO of MVP Holdings, previously co-founded Outback Steakhouse.

“We respectively asked him if we could get out of franchise agreement, frankly because there was no interest from PDQ to expand the brand in New York and support the promotion of PDQ,” Poll said. “So, we’re going on our own.”

Poll said the quality of food at the restaurant, which offered tenders, sandwiches, salads and shakes, was never a problem with local fans, but name recognition was lacking.

The new restaurant’s menu will largely remain the same with the exception of new additions, like a double smash burger, chicken parmesan melt and a Korean BBQ chicken sandwich.

With the local PDQ franchise deal ended, the chain now has no locations in New York, as confirmed by the company’s list of locations on its website.

In February last year, PDQ closed eight locations across North Carolina and South Carolina, according to reports from CBS17.com, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based broadcast station. The chain cited market conditions as the reason for the closures. In 2023, the company abruptly closed two New Jersey locations, according to NJ.com.

The company's estimated annual sales for 2025 is between $1 million and $4.9 million, according to analytics firm Dun & Bradstreet. PDQ did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has a total of 56 locations, with 52 of them in Florida. Three locations remain in North Carolina and one remains in New Jersey, according to PDQ’s website.

Jonah Kaufman, longtime franchise owner of 10 McDonald’s restaurants across the Island, said franchising can be a tough business without investments in marketing and branding from a franchiser. 

“There’s no question that franchisees need a strong franchiser, a strong brand and the support behind the scenes that most people take for granted,” Kaufman said. “It’s not easy to develop a brand.”