Taking a third bite of the chicken wing, eh?
A drumstick would probably be more nourishing, but you get the point. Chick-fil-A first made a play for the UK market back in 2019 with a site in The Oracle shopping centre in Reading, yet little more than a week later it announced that it would close at the end of its six-month pilot period. Later that year the group had another go, quietly opening an outpost at the Macdonald Aviemore Hotel in the Scottish Highlands. This time the restaurant lasted three months before it too closed its doors. Many thought that would be it for the Atlanta-based fried chicken chain in the UK, but then, in September last year, Chick-fil-A announced plans to relaunch on this side of the pond. Now, the fast-food giant has confirmed it is in the process of selecting operators for sites in London, Leeds, Liverpool and Belfast, with a view to opening its first site early next year.
Well, they do say third time’s a charm. Why did Chick-fil-A struggle so much before?
The brand has courted some pretty serious criticism in its time. Many of the company's values are influenced by the Christian religious beliefs of its late founder, S. Truett Cathy, who launched the business as Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, back in 1946 (it rebranded as Chick-fil-A in 1961). For example, all 3,000+ of the group’s US locations close on a Sunday in reflection of Sunday Sabbatarianism. In 2012, it faced a boycott after its then CEO, now chairman, Dan Cathy made comments opposing same-sex marriage. Around the same time, it was also criticised for donations to organisations with alleged anti-LGBT+ policies. Those controversies rose to the surface again when the group launched in Reading, with gay rights charity Reading Pride immediately calling for a boycott of the restaurant. The Scotland restaurant was met with similar hostility, with more than 1,200 people signing a petition calling for its closure.
What makes Chick-fil-A think it’ll fare any better this time?
Following the reaction in Reading, Chick-fil-A overhauled its philanthropic policy. It announced that it had stopped funding anti-LGBTQ organisations in the US and would instead refocus it charity efforts towards education, homelessness and hunger. Joanna Symonds, Chick-fil-A’s head of UK operations, has said the group will adopt a similar benevolence in the UK and has pledged to donate £25,000 to one local not-for-profit per new restaurant. It’s clearly the group’s hope that enough time has passed for people to forgive and forget its past controversies and it’s certainly putting its money where its mouth is. Chick-fil-A says it plans to invest $100m (£80m) in the UK over the next decade as part of a wider $1bn (£800m) plan to launch Chick-fil-A in five markets outside North America by 2030.
Sounds like it’s confident of making things work this time…
Despite the criticism levelled at it, Chick-fil-A has established a significant following in the US and its signature chicken sandwich has been made to the same recipe for nearly 60 years. The chain is positioned as being a healthier fast-food option too, with grilled chicken offered as an alternative to fried across the menu. However, Chick-fil-A’s promotion of Christian values speaks to a wider American characteristic of religion being much more closely tied to national identity, and it’s there that it may struggle in the UK, with the most recent census showing England to now be a minority Christian country. The notion of a fast-food restaurant closing on Sundays, which is understood to apply to Chick-fil-A’s UK sites, feels a little outdated, and may impact the brand’s attraction to UK diners.
What other challenges could Chick-fil-A face in the UK?
The growing competitiveness of the UK’s fried chicken market could also hinder its progress. In the years since 2019, the segment has been bolstered by the arrival of Popeyes and the meteoric progress of Wingstop – the former is set to reach 60 sites by the end of the year, while the latter was named by The Sunday Times as the fastest growing restaurant group in the UK for the second year running in June. The space is set to get more competitive next year with the arrival of Dave’s Hot Chicken, which is aiming to open at least 60 sites across the UK under a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group. Only time will tell whether Chick-fil-A can successfully play chicken.