Executive Spotlight: Chance Carlisle, CEO of Carlisle Corp. (2027)
Chance Carlisle is the chief executive officer of Carlisle Corp., a Memphis, Tennessee company whose subsidiary Wendelta is a Wendy's franchisee. Wendelta's own page says it operates over 220 Wendy's restaurants in 11 states. Press coverage ties Chance Carlisle to the company's biggest moves: in 2018 Carlisle Corp. bought 46 Wendy's restaurants in Alabama and Florida, and in 2026 Wendelta rescued two Memphis-area Wendy's that their seller had planned to close.
This page covers public professional information only, drawn from the company's website and trade and local press, and every figure is dated.
Current role and company
Chance Carlisle is listed as Chief Executive Officer in the leadership section of the Carlisle Corp. website, and trade and local press called Chance Carlisle CEO of Carlisle Corp. in 2018 and again in 2026. The company is based in downtown Memphis. Its site describes a restaurant and hospitality business with real estate development roots, including the One Beale mixed-use project, a restaurant group and a development company.
The Wendy's business sits in the subsidiary Wendelta, which the company describes as a pioneering Wendy's franchisee. The Wendelta page says it relies on the five core values of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas: Quality Matters, Treat Everyone with Respect, Do the Right Thing, Profit is not a Dirty Word and Give Back.
Career path
Public sources give limited detail on earlier jobs, so this page sticks to what the record shows. The Wendelta awards list on the company site credits Chance Carlisle with the 2013 Wendy Award for Operational Excellence, the 2019 Monument Award for Brand Transformation and the 2023 Founder's Award.
By June 2018 Chance Carlisle was quoted as CEO in the announcement of the Wendco Group purchase, in the same period as the company's One Beale development and its fast-casual experiment, both covered below.
What Chance Carlisle is known for
- The 2018 Wendco purchase. In June 2018 Carlisle Corp. bought 46 Wendy's restaurants in Alabama and Florida from the Wendco Group. QSR Web quoted Chance Carlisle saying the company could not pass up the chance to acquire contiguous restaurants that had been very well run, and Restaurant Business put the deal in a wave of consolidation among larger Wendy's operators.
- LYFE Kitchen, then a refocus. Carlisle Corp. took a minority stake in the better-for-you chain LYFE Kitchen in 2014, bought the brand in 2016 and moved its headquarters from California to Memphis, per Restaurant Business. In 2018 it sold its last three restaurants to a Chicago franchisee, and Nation's Restaurant News quoted Chance Carlisle saying the company lacked the time and resources to fulfill the brand's potential and would concentrate on Wendy's and One Beale.
- One Beale. The same NRN report describes the company developing One Beale in downtown Memphis and planning a $135 million mixed-use project on the riverfront.
- Rescuing Memphis Wendy's restaurants (2026). WhatNow Memphis reported that Wendelta bought two restaurants, at 8092 Rockcreek Cove in Cordova and 815 N. Germantown Road, from Meritage Hospitality Group, which had intended to close them. Chance Carlisle said the plan, permit and rebuild work would probably take eight to 12 months, with upgraded kitchens, drive-thrus and dining rooms planned. The Daily Memphian separately reported that Wendelta had acquired four Memphis-area Wendy's and planned to bring them up to the brand's newest standards.
Leadership style and philosophy
This page uses only remarks Chance Carlisle made on the record. In the 2026 Memphis coverage, Chance Carlisle said the company knows how to run really great restaurants and that it starts with the people, adding a plan to hire great people and deliver a Dave's Double that everyone can count on. On the earlier LYFE exit, the explanation given was that the company aligned its strategic priorities. No broader philosophy is claimed here.
Key numbers
Company-reported or press-reported figures, each with its period. Counts change as restaurants are bought and rebuilt.
- June 201846 Wendy's restaurants bought in Alabama and Florida; 150 Wendy's in total across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas; 10th-largest operator in the Wendy's system (QSR Web, Restaurant Business).
- 2018Nine general managers among Wendy's Top 200 of about 6,600 restaurants worldwide (QSR Web).
- 2018 plan$135 million mixed-use riverfront development planned (Nation's Restaurant News).
- 2026, company siteWendelta operates over 220 Wendy's restaurants across 11 states (carlislecorp.com).
- 2026 rebuildsTwo Memphis-area restaurants bought from Meritage Hospitality Group; eight to 12 months to plan, permit and rebuild (WhatNow Memphis).
Questions people ask
Who is Chance Carlisle?
Chance Carlisle is the CEO of Carlisle Corp., a Memphis company whose subsidiary Wendelta is a Wendy's franchisee, according to the company website and press coverage.
What does Carlisle Corp. do?
Its website describes a restaurant and hospitality business with real estate development roots, including One Beale in downtown Memphis, a restaurant group, a development company and the Wendy's franchisee Wendelta.
How many Wendy's restaurants does Wendelta operate?
Wendelta's company page says over 220 restaurants in 11 states. In June 2018 the company had 150 after the Wendco purchase.
What happened with LYFE Kitchen?
Carlisle Corp. invested in 2014, bought the brand in 2016, then sold its remaining three restaurants to a Chicago franchisee in 2018 to focus on Wendy's.
What is Carlisle Corp. doing in Memphis now?
A 2026 report says Wendelta bought two Wendy's restaurants from Meritage Hospitality Group and plans to rebuild them over roughly eight to 12 months.
Sources
- Carlisle Corp.: Wendelta page (company site) · Restaurant count, states, core values, awards credited to Chance Carlisle
- WhatNow Memphis: Wendelta to Bring Area Restaurants Back from the Brink (2026) · Two Memphis restaurants, rebuild timeline, quotes
- QSR Web: Carlisle acquires 46 Wendy's locations (June 18, 2018) · Wendco purchase, 150 restaurants, quote
- Restaurant Business: Wendy's franchisee Carlisle adds 46 more locations (2018) · Deal context, LYFE Kitchen timeline
- Nation's Restaurant News: Carlisle Corp. sells LYFE Kitchen · LYFE exit, strategic focus, One Beale
- The Daily Memphian: Wendelta acquires four Memphis-area Wendy's, plans updates · Four-restaurant acquisition (excerpt)
Facts were read from the linked pages on November 2, 2026. Titles and counts are as of the dates shown and may have changed. The hero photo is a close-up portrait from the Carlisle Corp. website, where the leadership section lists Chance Carlisle as Chief Executive Officer; it is centered on a blurred card to fit the page format. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Carlisle Corp. (carlislecorp.com)