Chick-fil-A launches push into Asian market with first location in Singapore

The U.S. hen sandwich restaurant chain Chick-fil-A introduced this week it should make its first push into Asia with new places in Singapore starting subsequent 12 months. Picture courtesy Chick-fil-A

Oct. 18 (UPI) — U.S. quick meals restaurant model Chick-fil-A says it is marking its first growth into Asia with a $75 million push concentrating on Singapore.

The Atlanta-based franchise chain, which has based mostly its development on its signature hen sandwiches, revealed Thursday it should open its first Singapore location in late 2025 following a profitable pop-up expertise in June.

“The profound love that Singaporeans have for meals, in addition to town’s strategic place as a gateway to the Asian market, make it the best selection for Chick-fil-A’s first everlasting restaurant within the area,” Chief Worldwide Officer Anita Costello mentioned in a press release.

“We’re grateful for the overwhelming assist and optimistic response from Singaporeans to this point and we look ahead to serving them in 2025.”

Chick-fil-A’s Asian growth comes on the heels of an identical first-time push into Britain deliberate for early 2025, which was introduced final month. In that effort, the chain says it should make investments greater than $100 million over the following 10 years to construct an abroad presence.

Chick-fil-A has turn into the third-largest restaurant chain in america through the use of a method of recruiting principally single-unit owner-operators who share within the firm’s income, in line with the business information web site Restaurant Enterprise.

However in Asia, it should face stiff hen competitors from KFC, which already operates greater than 10,000 shops in China.

The corporate’s plans at present name for a $1 billion growth into 5 worldwide markets by 2030, the Wall Avenue Journal reported final 12 months.

Chick-fil-A posted systemwide gross sales of $21.6 billion in gross sales in 2023, a 14.7% improve over 2022 and 43% over 2021, in line with analysis by restaurant analyst Technomic Ignite — inserting it behind solely McDonald’s and Starbucks within the fast-service meals business.

The corporate, whose places are closed on Sundays in accordance with the Christian spiritual beliefs of founder S. Truett Cathy, courted controversy in 2012 when present CEO Dan Cathy voiced opposition to homosexual marriage.

He later acknowledged it was a mistake for his firm to take a place on the difficulty, though he mentioned he remained personally against homosexual marriage.

In 2019 Chick-fil-A introduced it might not donate cash to organizations that oppose same-sex and transgender rights.