Chick-fil-A will cross the Atlantic with an upcoming expansion into the United Kingdom.
That will happen in early 2025, when the restaurant chain known for its chicken sandwiches intends to open the first of five restaurant openings in the country within two years.
He announced this decision on Thursday.
Chick-fil-A previously had a brief stint in the UK in 2019 with a now-closed pilot site in Reading.
LGBTQ activists protested the restaurant and a shopping center later chose not to renew a temporary lease, FOX Business previously reported.
That year, consumers criticized the company over its past donations to groups that some claimed opposed same-sex marriage and past comments from a CEO.
The first of the upcoming UK restaurants will represent the “first permanent store outside of North America”, according to Chick-fil-A.
The company, founded in 1967 and closed every Sunday, has a physical presence in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, totaling more than 2,800 locations.
Local operators will own and manage the planned UK stores, the fast food chain said.
The company has indicated that it intends to continue its expansion in the country beyond it.
“We are delighted that our restaurants are creating new jobs and opportunities across the UK,” said Anita Costello, International Director of Chick-fil-A.
“Serving communities is at the heart of everything we do at Chick-fil-A, and our unique local owner-operator model provides unique access to entrepreneurial opportunities. »
Chick-fil-A expects between 80 and 120 jobs at these sites.
More than 190,000 people work at Chick-fil-A or its restaurants, according to a recent company press release.
Chick-fil-A plans to invest $100 million in the United Kingdom over a decade, the company announced Thursday.
Before the start of the next decade, the fast food chain wants to open at least five markets abroad.
Chick-fil-A said it plans to expand into other European countries and Asia over the next two years.
Last month, the company revealed that it would be bringing its “first ever” take on its chicken sandwich for fall, offering a honey pepper and chili chicken sandwich option as part of a seasonal menu in the United States.
New York Post
