Episode 83: Kelli Ferrell with Nana's Chicken-N-Waffles

Kelli Ferrell's dream of a small, limited-menu restaurant serving her favorite Southern dishes started with a vision board, a collage of images that represent and help manifest one’s goals. Eight years later, she purchased a shuttered burger restaurant in her neighborhood and created Nana's Chicken-N-Waffles. “I had no restaurant experience, but I was driven by my passion to serve people, my love for good food, and my marketing ability," says Kelli.

Nana's Chicken-N-Waffles became a popular Atlanta breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept. Kelli is active in the community, has authored a cookbook titled “Kooking with Kelli”, and has been featured on local television programs, including multiple appearances on the Food Network.

With two Atlanta locations. Kelli sets her sights on continued expansion and retail distribution of her concept’s signature waffle mix and syrups. In this episode, Kelli discusses:

• Building a brand.
• Active social media and community-based marketing.
• Why her best managers started as line employees.
• The growth opportunities of limited-menu concepts that require less square footage and fewer staff.
• How secondary markets and franchising figure into concept expansion.