Chick-fil-A has announced the locations of its first permanent UK outlets as it returns to the British fast food scene next year. The US giant plans a big investment in the coming decade, expected to reach tens of millions of pounds.
Targeted cities including London, Leeds, Liverpool, and Belfast are slated to welcome the brand’s chicken menu, with the initial establishment poised for a grand opening in early 2025. The precise location of the first restaurant has not yet been confirmed.
Operating over 3,000 stores in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada, Chick-fil-A has outlined robust ambitions for the UK market, committing to an injection of over $100m (£75m) into its UK ventures within the next ten years. The group plans a £25,000 donation to a local charity combatting hunger as part of its first location’s inauguration festivities, as reported by City AM.
Chick-fil-A opened its first temporary restaurant in the UK in Reading in 2019. The opening led to a ‘Get The Chick Out’ protest from the town’s LGBT+ community over comments made by the company’s chief operating officer Dan T. Cathy in 2012 opposing same-sex marriage in the US. The Reading store closed in 2020 as planned at the end of its six-month lease.
The company’s return to the UK stage involves launching five restaurants in the first two years alone, creating approximately 400 job opportunities.
Anita Costello, Chick-fil-A’s chief international officer, commented: “Serving communities is at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to bringing Chick-fil-A’s delicious food and signature hospitality to Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool and London, and continuing our long-term investment in the UK.”
“From job creation to supporting local causes, we are excited about the positive impact our first restaurants will have in the communities they serve.”
Each new restaurant opening in the UK is expected to generate between 80 to 100 jobs, while the company has also committed to sourcing products locally.
While Chick-fil-A owns the physical restaurants, it’s the franchisees who are responsible for the business operations, including hiring staff, setting schedules, and overall management.
Prospective Chick-fil-A operators need to invest approximately $10,000 (£7,500) to get started, and the group says they must be deeply involved in both their business and community.
Joanna Symonds, head of UK operations, said: “We’ve always cared about the impact of our restaurants on the local communities that we serve, and we strive to positively impact areas throughout the UK.”
She added: “We encourage our local owner-operators to partner with organisations which support their local communities.”
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