Atlanta-based chicken joint and fast-food icon Chick-fil-A is planning to expand its business into a handful of international markets by 2030.
Chick-fil-A is planning to sell its signature fried chicken sandwiches in several European and Asian markets by 2026, with additional international locations planned by 2030, The Wall Street Journal reported.
After achieving extraordinary growth in the U.S., the family-owned business is now eyeing locations internationally, according to Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy.
“We feel like it’s time to continue to innovate and try and test how we will do in international markets so that we can learn,” Cathy said, per The Wall Street Journal.
The brand has made previous efforts to expand into international locations, but each attempt was met with challenges that ultimately made the venture unsuccessful. However, with the immense success and demand for Chick-fil-A’s fried chicken sandwich here in the U.S., the company is ready to give expanding internationally another go.
In fact, demand for Chick-fil-A’s signature fried chicken sandwich was so strong that in late 2019 Popeyes released its own version of the fried chicken sandwich, sparking a fast-food rivalry among many industry titans, all of whom are vying for their own version of the popular menu item.
Demand for fried chicken sandwiches has only seemed to grow since then, with market research from Circana concluding that Americans consumed nearly three billion chicken sandwiches during the 12 months ending in January 2023. The company’s earnings reflect this robust demand for fried chicken sandwiches.
Chick-fil-A’s net earnings worldwide rose from $440k in 2017 to $1.4 million in 2021, an increase of nearly 180%, according to data from Statista, an online platform specialized in market and consumer data.
In 2021, Chick-fil-A’s annual sales per franchise restaurant was a little more than $8 million, with total company revenue growing 33% year-over-year. Other popular fast-food restaurants managed to pull in less than half of Chick-fil-A’s annual sales. For comparison, annual sales for McDonald’s per franchise restaurant were only $2.9 million in 2021, according to franchise analysis by The Wolf of Franchises.
Chick-fil-A is still putting together how its international supply would work, but it would likely rely on local and existing U.S. suppliers. The company also plans to carry over its signature brand style and menu items.