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CHICK-FIL-A is stepping up its UK expansion, promising delicious chicken sandwiches at prices that undercut McDonald’s.
The iconic US chain, known for its signature chicken dishes, opened its first UK restaurants earlier this year in Northern Ireland.
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Now, it’s gearing up to launch locations in Leeds, Liverpool, and London as part of a £74million push to crack the British market.
From the chain’s most popular menu item, the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, to nuggets and waffle fries, several signature items will be hitting the Leeds store in weeks.
At the heart of the menu is the brand’s signature item, the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, which will be available as a meal for £9.69 or on its own for £6.19.
This classic sandwich, whose recipe has remained unchanged since the 1960s, consists of a lightly breaded whole chicken breast, pressure-cooked and served on a toasted bun with two pickle chips.
For comparison, a McCrispy Sandwich at McDonald’s is priced around £6.39.
For those wanting extra toppings, the Chick-fil-A Deluxe Sandwich builds on the original by adding lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese for £6.89, or £10.39 as a meal.
A Spicy Chicken Sandwich is also available for £6.49, with a Spicy Deluxe version costing £7.19.
Another fan favourite making its way to the UK is Chick-fil-A Nuggets, which originated in the 1980s after customers began requesting bite-sized portions of the famous chicken.
These nuggets are made from 100% boneless chicken breast, which is hand-filleted and breaded in the restaurant.
Alternatively, customers can opt for unbreaded nuggets.
An eight-count of nuggets will cost £6.19, with a meal priced at £9.69.
All meals come with the chain’s signature Waffle Potato Fries and a choice of a soft drink or iced tea.
The menu also features a range of drinks, including Freshly-Brewed Iced Tea, classic Lemonade, and the popular “Sunjoy” drink, a half-and-half blend of iced tea and lemonade.
Hand-spun milkshakes will be available in flavours like Cookies & Cream, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla for £4.79.
The chain also caters to some dietary needs with vegetarian options like salads and fruit cups, and gluten-sensitive items including Grilled Nuggets and a gluten-free bun.
Ahead of its UK high street launch, The Sun visited the Chick-fil-A’s headquarters in Atlanta to find out what the fuss is all about.
Chick-fil-A is a family-run business that operates a franchise-style system.
Anyone can apply to operate a restaurant, and applications for potential franchisees wishing to open a UK restaurant are open.
However, Chick-fil-A’s model differs from other fast food chains we know in the UK – like McDonald’s, KFC or Burger King – as franchisees don’t own the sites themselves.
Franchisees – or operators, as they are known – run the businesses daily, but Chick-fil-A owns the rest, including the brick-and-mortar site.
This means the company owns the actual restaurant, while the franchisee operates the business on their behalf, resulting in a smaller outlay and less risk for operators.
In the US, the initial franchise agreement costs just $10,000 (£7,932), while a McDonald’s franchise typically costs between £350k and £1,85 million in the UK.
Chick-fil-A also only lets its operators run up to three stores, and the majority of them only run a single location.
With other fast food chains, you can run several at once and even build a mini-empire, though that requires significant investment.
Like in the US, each UK restaurant will be able to participate in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table programme.
This initiative redirects surplus food from Chick-fil-A restaurants to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks, and non-profits in need.
What is Chick-fil-A?
CHICK-FIL-A is an American fast food restaurant specialising in chicken sandwiches.
The eatery was originally founded in College Park, Georgia as the Dwarf Grill in 1946 before it was eventually renamed Chick-Fil-A in 1967.
The fast food chain operates more than 3,000 restaurants, primarily in the US, with locations in 48 states.
They also have locations in Puerto Rico and Canada.
Chick-fil-A also offers catering services for parties and events within the US.
The brand has always closed on Sundays after its founder, Truett Cathy, took the decision to do so in 1946.
Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest, enjoy time with their families and loved ones, or worship if they chose.
The move to open in the UK comes after Chick-fil-A opened a temporary pop-up branch in Reading in 2019.
However, the town centre restaurant shut after its six-month lease expired in 2020.
It came after controversy around comments by the company’s then-chief executive, Dan Cathy, opposing same-sex marriage.
US fast food expansion into the UK
Chick-fil-A is not the only US fast-food chain to have taken a leap across the pond in recent years.
Iconic American diner chain Denny’s is gearing up for a major expansion in the UK.
Specialist advisory firm FRP Corporate Finance has been appointed to oversee the process and identify potential partners to help grow the historic restaurant brand in the UK, which operates nearly 1,500 diners worldwide.
Denny’s is best known for its all-day breakfast menu, including signature items like fluffy pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausages.
Meanwhile, Wingstop, which currently has 72 sites across the UK, recently revealed plans to open 20 more sites this year.
The expansion plans come a month after Wingstop’s UK arm was taken over by a US private equity company for more than £400million.
US firm Sixth Street struck a deal to buy a majority stake in Wingstop UK’s master franchisee, with plans to grow the business further.
Wingstop UK opened at least 10 new locations in the first half of the year.
These included dine-in restaurants in Swansea, Newcastle, Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, Streatham in south London and Cardigan Fields in Leeds.
Carl’s Jr launched its first UK location in Cardiff this April, with space to serve up to 50 customers at a time.
Dave’s Hot Chicken has partnered with Azzurri Group, the company behind ASK, Zizzi, and Boojum, to open 180 restaurants across Europe, including in Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
Azzurri, which runs the UK and Ireland franchise, also plans to open another 57 Dave’s restaurants in Britain.
Its first UK location on Shaftesbury Avenue in London has been a huge success, attracting over 1,000 customers a day since opening in December.
The chain has already expanded to Manchester and Birmingham, with more openings planned.
Azzurri’s chief executive, Steve Holmes, called Dave’s “a once-in-a-generation brand” set for global success.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is known in the US for its jumbo hot chicken sliders, tenders, and bites.
The brand also offers sides like house-made kale slaw, creamy mac and cheese, and crispy, seasoned french fries.
The chain’s chicken is available in seven spice levels, from no spice to reaper, the latter of which requires a signed waiver due to its intense heat.
We got an exclusive first taste of Dave’s UK menu before its debut store opened last year.
Tex-Mex brand Velvet Taco will make its UK at London’s Broadgate Circle in Liverpool Street within weeks.
The diner has also confirmed opening more UK sites in the coming years.
The taco brand was first launched in Dallas, Texas, in 2011 and now operates out of nearly 50 restaurants across the US.
The brand’s signature dishes include its spicy tikka chicken taco with tenders, house-made tikka sauce, buttered coriander basmati rice, raita crema, and Thai basil.
Another favourite is the London-inspired fish and chips taco, which includes beer-battered cod, curry aioli, fried vinegar, and Napa slaw.
Popeyes already opened 33 locations in the UK last year and it’s one of the fastest-growing chicken brands in the quick-service market.
The fast food joint, which is famous for its Louisiana-style chicken burgers and tenders, first came to the UK in 2021, opening a site in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford.
It now plans to expand its presence in cities including Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol as well as opening further locations in Manchester, Liverpool, London and Scotland.
Alongside opening dine-in restaurants, the brand said it has plans to open drive-thru locations and delivery kitchens, which will be just for takeaway orders.
It will open a total of 45 sites across the UK this year.
How to save money eating out
THERE are a number of ways that you can save money when eating out. Here’s how:
Discount codes – Check sites like Sun Vouchers or VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Tastecard – This is a members club where you pay to have access to discounts worth up to 50 per cent off at thousands of restaurants. It costs £4.99 a month or £34.99 for the year.
Loyalty schemes – Some restaurants will reward you with discounts or a free meal if you register with their loyalty scheme, such as Nando’s where you can collect a stamp with every visit. Some chains like Pizza Express will send you discounts for special occasions, such as your birthday, if you sign up to their newsletter.
Voucher schemes – Look out for voucher schemes offered by third party firms, such as Meerkat Meals. If you compare and buy a product through CompareTheMarket.com then you’ll be rewarded with access to the discount scheme. You’ll get 2 for 1 meals at certain restaurants through Sunday to Thursday.
Student discounts – If you’re in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It’s always worth asking before you place your order.
