US chain Chick-fil-A to invest $100m in UK comeback

The brand was last seen in the UK in 2019.

US-based quick-service restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has announced its return to the UK in early 2025, eyeing to launch five restaurants in two years.

The company earlier this year outlined intentions to open restaurants in Europe and Asia by 2026 and five international locations by 2030. This UK expansion marks the first permanent store outside of North America.  

Chick-fil-A plans to invest $100m in the next 10 years for its UK growth. Each restaurant is estimated to create approximately 80 to 120 new jobs.

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It will also operate in a unique owner-operator model, with nearly 80% owning just one restaurant, and an investment of just $10k

The brand also plans to source all its chicken from the UK & Ireland and have 100% free-range eggs and welfare certification.

Chick-fil-A currently has more than 2,800 restaurants across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, with the company having plans to open five, locally owned and operated restaurants in the UK in the first two years and expand across the UK.  

Chick-fil-A previously operated in the UK in 2019 but faced tension from local gay-rights advocates, closing after only six months.