OUR JOURNEY
From one hourly shift to a national franchise network of 200+ restaurants across 15 brands.
THE FOUNDER
In 1984, a young immigrant named Kadirali Chunara took his first hourly shift at a Taco Bell in Texas. With less than $20,000 saved a few years later, he purchased his first Church’s Chicken restaurant on seller-financed terms and worked open-to-close to pay it off. That single Church’s — which he still owns today — became the foundation of everything that followed.
GROWTH
Checkers in 2004 (an 8-store acquisition). Popeyes in the mid-2000s. Dunkin’ in 2007. Take 5 in 2020. Blaze Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Drybar in the years since. Today the Chunara Group operates approximately 200 restaurants across 15 franchise brands, 80+ NNN real estate properties, and a growing private equity portfolio — all coordinated from an Atlanta headquarters where the family still answers the phone.
THE FAMILY
Ali’s son, Shehzaan Chunara, serves as Development Coordinator, leading the expansion pipeline for the group’s diverse multi-unit portfolio. In 2024, Governor Brian Kemp appointed Shehzaan to the State of Georgia’s Board of Economic Development. Beth Hilscher, Business & Franchise Counsel since 2014, ensures regulatory compliance across all corporate entities.
