Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken names Ian Kline vice president of procurement

Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken has hired supply chain veteran Ian Kline as vice president of procurement, putting a decade of protein sourcing and franchise distribution experience behind the brand’s more than 130 locations. The move is meant to tighten costs, strengthen supply reliability and protect the chain’s fresh, never-frozen chicken promise.

Why it matters: - Ian Kline will oversee procurement through distribution for Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken’s system of more than 130 locations across 12 U.S. states and Canada. - The role affects what franchise operators pay, what they serve and how consistently they can deliver fresh, never-frozen chicken. - Better cost transparency is meant to give franchisees a clearer view of supply chain expenses and more tools to manage them.

What happened: - Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken named Ian Kline vice president of procurement. - Kline brings a decade of experience in protein sourcing and franchise-scale distribution. - The appointment was announced July 9, 2026, from Shalimar, Florida.

The details: - Kline started at Taco John’s in 2016, where he learned food service supply chain operations. - He later moved into fresh poultry at Performance Food Group. - Kline managed all proteins for Checkers and Rally’s, including domestic pork and poultry programs. - Kline also oversaw beef imports from seven countries while at Checkers and Rally’s. - Most recently, Kline scaled Swig Drinks from 75 stores and eight distribution centers to more than 150 stores and 15 distribution centers. - Kline earned an economics degree from Willamette University and an MBA from the University of Kansas. - Kline is a Wyoming native and lives in Laramie with his wife, JayCee, their two children, two yellow labs named Franklin and Fitzgerald and six backyard chickens. - Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken says the chain has specialized in fresh, never-frozen chicken for 60 years. - The brand says it was founded in Lima, Ohio. - Lee’s says it has been recognized for three straight years as a top 10 Fast Food Fried Chicken brand by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Award. - Lee’s says more than 130 locations operate in 12 U.S. states and Canada, and most are individually owned and operated. - More information is available on Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken’s website and on the company’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Between the lines: - Lee’s is signaling that procurement is a strategic lever, not just an administrative function. - Kline’s background suggests the chain wants a leader who can handle sourcing complexity while supporting franchise economics. - The emphasis on fresh poultry and cost visibility points to pressure to balance product consistency with supply chain discipline.

What’s next: - Kline will take ownership of supply chain decisions across the Lee’s system. - The company appears to be betting that stronger procurement management will help franchisees keep costs predictable and supply steady.

The bottom line: - Lee’s is putting a seasoned supply chain operator in charge of a core part of the guest experience: getting fresh chicken to stores reliably and at a controllable cost.