• by Teresa Buyikian , September 21, 2023

Chick-fil-A recently announced plans to launch in the United Kingdom in early 2025. The announcement marks the first permanent Chick-fil-A location outside of North America.

The chain said it has allotted more than $100 million to invest in expansion over 10 years, with five new locations set to open in the U.K. within the first two years.

Earlier this year the company announced intentions to open restaurants in Europe and Asia by 2026 and five international locations by 2030. Each location is slated to create approximately 80 to 120 new jobs with “flexible work hours and competitive wages,”  the company says. The U.K. locations will use chicken sourced from the U.K. and Ireland, as well as 100% free-range eggs.

The company has embraced a new owner/operator model for the expansion, with nearly 80% of franchisees owning just one restaurant, equating to an approximately $10,000 investment. 

Chick-fil-A has pledged that for each new location opened globally, $25,000 will be donated to a local nonprofit organization to assist in reducing hunger in the local community. Chick-fil-A has also developed a “Shared Table” program, which helps fight food insecurity and reduce food waste by ensuring its restaurants donate surplus food to local shelters, soup kitchens and charities. The U.K. locations will participate in both programs. The chain is currently seeking potential nonprofit partners.

“We’ve (always) worked to positively influence the places we call home and this will be the same for our stores in the UK," said Joanna Symonds, Chick-fil-A head of UK operations. "We encourage our operators to partner with organizations which support and positively impact their local communities.”

Chick-fil-A currently has more than 2,800 restaurants across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. The brand debuted in Puerto Rico in 2022 and currently has five units on the island.