Food
Chick-fil-A
Leading chicken sandwich fast-food chain known for exceptional customer service.
Business overview
Chick-fil-A is an unusual franchise model with over 3,000 restaurants in the U.S. Despite its large scale, the upfront cost to become an operator is only about $10,000 because Chick-fil-A covers build-out costs. However, franchisees (operators) are selected via a very competitive process and must run the restaurant full-time. The initial setup value ranges from roughly $400,000 to $2.3 million for a new unit (covered by the company). Instead of standard royalties, Chick-fil-A operators pay a 15% operating fee and share 50% of the net profit with the franchisor (no separate marketing fee is charged). Chick-fil-A’s industry-leading average sales and extremely high customer satisfaction (despite being closed on Sundays) make it one of the most coveted franchise opportunities.
Research factors
Detailed questionnaire data has not yet been independently reviewed for this franchise.