The Atlanta-based chain has plans to open five restaurants in the UK in two years, the first opening in Leeds.
ATLANTA โ Chick-fil-A will expand its international footprint with its first stores in Europe and Asia this year, the company said Tuesday.ย
The Atlanta-based chain will open its first stores in Europe and Asia, with restaurants due to start operations in Leeds, United Kingdom and Singapore.ย
Chick-fil-A in a release noted it has plans to open a total of five restaurants within two years in the UK, part of a more than $100 million investment in that country. The company also says it has a planned 10-year, $75 million investment in Singapore.
The Leeds restaurant is expected to open in the fall and the Singapore restaurant late in the year, according to the release.
โExpanding in both Europe and Asia is a meaningful milestone for Chick-fil-A,โ said Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy in a statement. โThe investments weโre making in the U.K. and Singapore not only present opportunities for our business, but are also a chance for us to bring what
makes Chick-fil-A special to new places โ great food and remarkable hospitality, our unique franchise model and the positive impact we have in communities.โย
The company’s release said it plans to make 70-120 local hires at each store.ย
Currently, the only other country the chain operates permanent restaurants in is Canada. It has previously had a start-and-stop process with openings in the UK, including a temporary store in Reading, England that faced local protests over the company’s charitable ties to organizations opposing LGBTQ+ rights. In response to long-running criticisms about its donations, Chick-fil-A changed its charitable policies in 2019 (preceding the outcry in England), reorienting toward a focus on hunger, homelessness and education.
In line with that, the company said Tuesday it would also mark the opening of the new stores in the UK and Singapore with a $25,000 donation for each restaurant to local nonprofits fighting community hunger.
