Church’s Chicken announced the sale of 70 restaurants to a new franchise operator with a goal of helping the company accelerate its reimaging program and expanding local influence in two of the brand’s most important markets.

As 70 restaurants were sold to Texas-based Ampler Chicken LLC, Church’s also sold 6 Atlanta-area locations to existing franchisor operator Sal Kabiruddin of KSH Chicken Restaurants LLC.

With the sale, Ampler Chicken will be the third-largest multi-unit Church’s franchisee in the country, and the fourth-largest in the world. Ampler Chicken is sponsored by an investment firm with a permanent capital source and a long operating history in Texas. The group’s leadership includes Steve Wiborg—a veteran of the industry with more than 30 years at the franchisee and executive level for global brands such as Burger King. Joining Wiborg on the leadership team is Mike Collins, a former Burger King franchisee of the year with considerable operational expertise.

“All of us at Ampler Chicken are honored and excited about our partnership with one of the most respected restaurant brands in the world,” said Wiborg. “We are committed to making these restaurants an extraordinary experience for guests and team members alike.”