Chick-fil-A opened its first location on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in 2019 with a pilot restaurant in Reading, U.K. It lasted just a few months, as protests over past comments on gay marriage made by its former CEO led the landlord to opt not to renew its lease.
The chicken sandwich chain is trying again. The company this week said it plans five new locations in the country over the next two years and a $100 million commitment to make it work. Chick-fil-A plans locations in Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool and London.
The Atlanta-based chain has been a phenomenon in the U.S. It has thrived for decades with a carefully curated group of restaurants that generate ultra-high unit volumes. Chick-fil-A operates about 3,000 locations, mostly in the U.S. But they generate $7.5 million in revenue per store, per year.
It has little presence outside the U.S., but Chick-fil-A appears intent to change that, even in the face of protests.
The company’s first location in Toronto in 2019 was met with protesters. But it was also met with long lines of customers eager for its chicken sandwiches. And it is expanding. The company expects to open four new locations in Canada by the end of the year—which will give the brand 20 locations.
It’s hoping for similar success in the U.K. The company said that it plans to invest more than $100 million in the country over the next decade. Chick-fil-A also says it plans to donate £25,000 to local nonprofit organizations that fight hunger each time it opens a new location.
International development is the next major hurdle for Chick-fil-A. It has fewer international locations than any other Top 10 restaurant chain. Taco Bell and Wendy’s, the fourth and fifth largest chains in the U.S., respectively, each have about 1,200 locations.
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