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CHICK-FIL-A License Program
The Chick-fil-A License Program grants licenses to operate limited-menu, quick-service restaurants featuring Chick-fil-A brand products, primarily the boneless breast of chicken sandwich, along with items like nuggets, waffle fries, salads, milkshakes, lemonade, and breakfast options, in non-traditional captive audience locations such as schools, universities, airports, hospitals, workplaces, and similar sites. Licensees can operate directly as Self-Operators or provide food service to third-party owners as Food Service Providers, using custom facades, counter areas, or existing facilities, while adhering strictly to Chick-fil-A's standards and specifications with no initial license fee required. The target market includes customers primarily aged 18-44, with developed markets in the Sunbelt region from Pennsylvania south through Texas and expanding elsewhere.
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Franchise Costs
10% of Gross Receipts royalty
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 406 domestic Chick-fil-A Licensed Units open for at least one full calendar year as of December 31, 2025. This includes 306 units on college or university campuses and 100 units at hospitals, businesses, industries or airports.
* Calculated weighted average gross revenue based on two segments of Licensed Units: - 306 units on college/university campuses with an average annual sales volume of $1,523,567. - 100 units at hospitals, businesses, industries or airports with an average annual sales volume of $3,711,024. The calculation is (306 * $1,523,567 + 100 * $3,711,024) / (306 + 100) = $2,062,349.51. Median gross revenue is set to null as the document provides separate median values for each segment ($1,279,605 for college/university units and $3,224,813 for hospital/business/industry/airport units) but no overall median, and a true weighted median cannot be accurately determined from this data alone. Profit, net income, and EBITDA related fields are set to null because the document explicitly states: "The Financial Performance Representations do not reflect the costs of sales or operating expenses that must be deducted from the gross revenue or gross sales figures to obtain your net income or profit."
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $2,062,350
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How CHICK-FIL-A License Program Compares
Key Insights
- Top 10 largest franchise system in Fast Food
- One of the lowest SBA loan default rates in Fast Food
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CHICK-FIL-A License Program Current | $586K – $3.4M | N/A | 10.0% | 2,795 |
| MCDONALD'S | $1.5M – $2.6M | $45K | N/A | 12,772 |
| AFC | $45K – $151K | $6K | 9.5% | 3,572 |
| KFC (NON-TRADITIONAL) | $1.2M – $4.2M | $45K | N/A | 3,404 |
| SONIC DRIVE-IN | $1.5M – $2.5M | $15K | 5.0% | 3,120 |
| JIMMY JOHN'S | $366K – $734K | $35K | 6.0% | 2,737 |
Fast Food Average 131 franchises | $614K – $1.6M | $35K | 6.2% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 131 Fast Food franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2025)
Outlets by state across the United States
+26 more states
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SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for CHICK-FIL-A License Program franchisees (2016 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
2 SBA loans on record
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Franchisee Contacts
1,353 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
1,353 Contacts Available
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Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a CHICK-FIL-A License Program franchise ranges from $585,500 to $3,437,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 10.0% of gross sales.
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