Chick-fil-A’s UK expansion means Brits will be able to get their hands on a range of signature items – including the famous Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, nuggets, and waffle fries
American fast food giant Chick-fil-A is finally moving across the pond – and has revealed the exact locations of its first UK restaurants.
It means Brits will be able to get their hands on a range of signature items, including the famous Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, nuggets, and waffle fries. The UK expansion will also bring mouth-watering but unique food options not typically seen in the UK, such as savoury biscuits and ranch-flavoured dipping sauces.
In 2019, the chain opened a temporary pop-up in Reading but now plan to open five permanent stores. The fast food chain confirmed it will open two restaurants in Belfast and one in Leeds, Liverpool, and London, The Sun reports. The sites will open more than two years from 2025, with the chain also having opened applications for anyone wishing to take on a franchise.
Chick-fil-A runs more than 3,000 sites across the U.S, Puerto Rico and Canada. Its expansion into the UK is set to create around 400 new jobs for Brits. Anita Costello, chief international officer at Chick-fil-A, Inc, told The Sun: “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.”
The chain’s UK-based restaurants plan to use chicken sourced from the UK and Ireland, and 100% free-range eggs from welfare-certified farms. The first branch is set to open its doors in the first quarter of 2025.
Chick-fil-A will open five restaurants in the following locations:
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Belfast (two sites)
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Leeds
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Liverpool
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London
The chain previously said it intended to invest $100million in the UK over the next decade. Chick-fil-A was founded by Samuel Truett Cathy in 1946 who “based his business on biblical principles”, and is still owned by the Cathy Family today. The family are known for being devout Christians and these beliefs are entwined into the running of its restaurants. Chick-fil-A stores do not open on Sundays, a policy that will also apply in the UK according to reports.
The chicken shop chain’s corporate mission statement is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
