Chicken Salad Chick is preparing to open its first restaurant within New Orleans city limits. Franchisees Bill and Anne DiPaola have signed a lease for a location at 301 N. Carrollton Ave. near Mid-City Market, with the opening expected ahead of the 2027 Mardi Gras season.
The Mid-City restaurant will be the chain’s first inside the city, according to Biz New Orleans. The restaurant is expected to employ at least 30 people. The site is in a broader New Orleans dining landscape also covered by Where Y'at Magazine's holiday dining guide.
The DiPaolas already operate three Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in the greater New Orleans area: one in Slidell and two in Metairie. The Carrollton Avenue location would add the brand's first New Orleans city address. “We are very excited to become part of the Mid-City community,” Bill DiPaola said, per Biz New Orleans.
A Multi-Unit Deal Years in the Making
The Mid-City project follows a multi-unit franchise agreement announced in 2024 for four Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in the metro area. The DiPaolas took over an existing Slidell location in January 2025, opened their first Metairie restaurant that April, and later added a second Metairie location at Lakeside Shopping Center.
Biz New Orleans reported that the couple chose North Carrollton Avenue for its central location and access to surrounding neighborhoods. The site is part of the DiPaolas' planned expansion from Slidell and Metairie into New Orleans.
Decades of Gulf South Restaurant Experience
Bill DiPaola brings more than three decades of restaurant and franchising experience to the venture, having previously served as president and COO of gourmet hot dog chain Dat Dog and vice president of development at Rotolo's Pizzeria before becoming COO of Ballard Brands in November 2018, according to Restaurant Business. Ballard Brands is behind PJ's Coffee of New Orleans and other restaurant concepts, and DiPaola moved to Uptown New Orleans back in 2003.
Anne DiPaola serves as chief marketing officer for the couple's Chicken Salad Chick business while also working as director of communications for Cabrini High School, her alma mater. Bill DiPaola also serves as vice chairman of the board for the Career Immersion & Leadership Institute.
Behind the Brand's Rapid National Growth
Chicken Salad Chick was founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008 by Stacy Brown, according to Kiplinger. The menu's chicken salad flavors, including the signature Classic Carol, are named for real women in Brown's life, according to Brentwood Associates. Eagle Merchant Partners acquired majority ownership in May 2015.
The chain has since grown to more than 350 locations nationwide. Chicken Salad Chick reported $458 million in U.S. systemwide sales, according to QSR Magazine, opened 42 restaurants in 2025, and was awarded nearly 100 new franchise agreements that same year, per Biz New Orleans. The growth has continued into 2026, with the company entering into 52 restaurant agreements in the first quarter alone.
The DiPaolas hold franchise territory rights in Hammond, Kenner, Harahan and the West Bank, and plan to pursue additional development there, according to Biz New Orleans.
