Chick-fil-A has begun its United Kingdom expansion in earnest, opening two stores in Northern Ireland in March to jumpstart its $100 million expansion in the country.
The Belfast restaurants are located within Applegreen travel plazas, capitalizing on the Atlanta-based chicken chain’s relationship with the Ireland-based group in the United States, where it operates 14 Chick-fil-As at roadside refueling stations.
Applegreen announced in January that it had reached a licensing arrangement with Chick-fil-A, whose success across 3,000 plus domestic stores has relied on local “owner-operators” who put down about $10,000. The company says more than 80 percent of its franchisees operate a single store.
Chick-fil-A has already telegraphed that its next three U.K. stores, part of a 10-year expansion plan, will be situated in England, bringing the brand’s signature chicken sandwiches to Leeds, Liverpool and London. The first five stores are set to create a combined 400 jobs, with each location donating £25,000 to a local nonprofit to fight hunger. Learn about UK franchising
It’s part of a steady international expansion the company began in 2023, starting with Canada, followed by the U.K. announcement in 2024. The first Singapore location, the brand’s entree into Asia, is planned for late 2025.
In January, Chick-fil-A announced its intent to enter British Columbia on Canada’s western coast, with five to seven restaurants planned by 2030. The province of Alberta will see three additional Chick-fil-As open this spring, creating 330 jobs, as the latest developments in a plan to open 20 restaurants by 2030 in Edmonton, Calgary and other cities.
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