Chicken Treat owner takes on fifth South West store, with passion for hot chips and chooks as strong as ever

There’s a general consensus across Western Australia that Chicken Treat have the best chips. While it may be a case of West Aussies backing West Aussies, it’s something Glen Clayton doesn’t take for granted — even after 25 years in business with the brand. Now the owner of five Chicken Treat stores in the South West — including the new Dalyellup restaurant — Mr Clayton’s story with WA favourite Chicken Treat started when he was a fresh-faced 19-year-old in 1999. He told the Times he was working in restaurants around the State, making his way from assistant manager to store manager over eight years. “When I was 34, I bought my first Chicken Treat store, in Margaret River,” Mr Clayton said. “I’ve always wanted to run my own business. I grew up in Perth and loved travelling around WA while working for Chicken Treat. I knew how to manage a Chicken Treat store as I had done for nine years previously all around the State. I also wanted to set my family up financially for the future, so I took the opportunity. “I was interested in taking on a franchise as I like the operational side of business. I prefer to be on the floor, talking to customers, rather than just sitting in an office.” Taking up that first opportunity led to four more — but Mr Clayton, who said he was “always up for a challenge”, still takes that hands on approach. “I love the Chicken Treat brand and I knew they were going to be successful,” he said. “I’ve been in Western Australia my whole life. I wouldn’t live anywhere else — I’ve lived everywhere from Kununurra, Karratha, Busselton, Perth, Broome, down south. “Western Australia is everything for me so I couldn’t think of a better food franchise I wanted to work for. Regional WA loves Chicken Treat (and) our regional stores are some of the busiest across the brand.” When asked what has helped him be so successful, Mr Clayton’s answer was simple — the people. “I’ve always been astounded at the community’s support of my stores, as well as me personally,” he said. “The South West is an amazing place to live, not just because of our amazing natural environment but because of our local community. “My team is the best part of my business. You’re giving kids their first job and you develop a friendship with them and watch them grow. You have the privilege of seeing them go from school to university to their chosen career. “I have so many examples of staff who worked with me when they were kids, who have grown up and now have kids of their own who they bring back to say hi.” The first store came in 2014, which was followed four years late when Mr Clayton purchased the Bunbury Blair shop. In 2022, he took on Eaton, then Vasse in 2023, followed by the most recent opening in Dalyellup this year. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, however. “The pandemic was challenging, like it was for all businesses, and we had to pivot quickly so that we could continue to serve our customers,” he said. “On the back of that, we were fortunate enough to see a significant growth in sales. “Surprisingly, another challenge comes when business is booming. You’re extra busy and it’s a struggle to find enough staff to keep up with demand, although it’s always exciting when you’re creating jobs for people.” Those silver linings have kept Mr Clayton passionate, even in the harder times. The new store came as demand for a store in Dalyellup made its own business case, heard loud and clear, according to Chicken Treat chief executive Mimma Battista. “Chicken Treat has a huge following in the South West community which we have been serving for over 40 years,” she said. “As the City of Bunbury expands, we’re ensuring that we continue to provide a lip-smacking food destination in regional areas that want more options. “Dalyellup is our latest store in the local region and is the fifth store to be operated by Glen Clayton. We’re incredibly proud to support careers like Glen’s and offer up more local jobs in the Bunbury region.” It marks the eighth store in the region, with Australind, Collie and Manjimup operating alongside Mr Clayton’s handful. As for his favourite menu item at the moment, Mr Clayton said it was “definitely the new Loaded Biscoff Donut Chips”.