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Church's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken
Church’s Chicken operates quick-service restaurants specializing in fried chicken (original and spicy), classic sides, and freshly made Honey Butter Biscuits, available in various formats including drive-thru, delivery, and catering. The franchisor, Cajun Global LLC, offers franchise agreements and development agreements for qualified individuals and entities to operate under the Church’s Chicken or Church’s Texas Chicken brands, following proprietary system standards, recipes, and operating procedures. Their business model targets the highly competitive quick-service restaurant market serving the total population with affordable, flavorful fast food.
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Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 5% ad fund + approx. $300-$325/mo technology and support fees
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 441 domestic, free-standing Franchised Restaurants with drive-thrus, excluding 4 units open for less than 26 weeks and 112 units in Puerto Rico. Data is organized into four quartiles based on Weekly Average Gross Sales.
* has_financial_performance_data is true based on the statement on page 1 that Item 19 tables present Gross Sales. average_gross_revenue is calculated as the weighted average of 'Average Annualized Gross Sales by Quartile' from Table 6 (Page 5) for 441 Franchised Restaurants (Q1: 111 units * $1,589,335; Q2: 110 units * $1,183,974; Q3: 110 units * $961,596; Q4: 110 units * $720,181) / 441 total units = $1,114,849.88. median_gross_revenue is estimated as the average of the Median Gross Sales from the Q2 ($1,176,611) and Q3 ($946,295) quartiles in Table 6 (Page 5) = $1,061,453.00. revenue_top_quartile is the 'Average Annualized Gross Sales by Quartile' for Q1 from Table 6 (Page 5) = $1,589,335.00. revenue_bottom_quartile is the 'Average Annualized Gross Sales by Quartile' for Q4 from Table 6 (Page 5) = $720,181.00. average_gross_profit is calculated by multiplying the average_gross_revenue by the 'Gross Profit Margin' percentage (42.8%) from Table 3 (Page 3) for the Franchise section = $477,155.75. average_ebitda is calculated by multiplying the average_gross_revenue by the 'Restaurant Operating Profit (EBITDAR)' percentage (18.6%) from Table 3 (Page 3) for the Franchise section = $207,362.08. ebitda_margin_pct is directly taken from the 'Restaurant Operating Profit (EBITDAR)' percentage (18.6%) from Table 3 (Page 3) for the Franchise section. best_guess_profit_low and best_guess_profit_high are calculated by multiplying the average_gross_revenue by the 'Low' (9.7%) and 'High' (28.7%) 'Restaurant Operating Profit (EBITDAR)' percentages for Franchises from Table 3 (Page 3), respectively = $108,140.44 and $319,961.92. poc_number and poc_franchise_count are derived from the total units (441) in Table 6.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $1,114,850
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Unlock financial performance dataChurch's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken Franchise Analysis
Fried chicken battles rage in fast food, and Church's Chicken has slung spicy tenders and those addictive honey butter biscuits since 1964. With Item 19 finally disclosing revenues and a track record of SBA loans, the numbers hint at steady sales in a cutthroat market—but why the zero EBITDA margin and bankruptcy echoes? Unlock to see if this Cajun-fried icon delivers profits or just crumbs.
Item 7 lays out a hefty upfront: $644,366-$1,808,972 total investment, starting with a $20,000 franchise fee. Ongoing hits include 5% royalty, 5% ad fund, plus $300-$325 monthly tech fees. Item 19 shines with average gross revenue of $1,114,850 and median $1,061,453 across units, translating to estimated profits of $108,140-$319,962—though that flat 0% EBITDA margin screams tight operations or high costs eating into the top line. For a buyer eyeing QSR, these figures suggest volume potential in drive-thru heavy formats, but profitability hinges on location and execution.
System-wise, 714 franchised locations dwarf 159 corporate ones, with just 7 terminations and 9 non-renewals last year signaling stability amid 19 transfers. SBA data impresses: 40 loans averaging $852,843 and a tiny 2.5% default rate, easier financing than many peers. Yet litigation clusters around terminations, breaches, and royalties, plus a bankruptcy history and parent High Bluff Capital's oversight post-Atlanta HQ. If you're chasing affordable chicken plays, Church's offers scale and sales punch, but scrutinize margins and legal risks before biting.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How Church's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken Compares
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Church's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken Current | $644K – $1.8M | $20K | 5.0% | 714 |
| MCDONALD'S | $1.5M – $2.6M | $45K | N/A | 12,772 |
| LITTLE CAESARS | $377K – $1.8M | $20K | 6.0% | 3,788 |
| 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 |
Fast Food Average 132 franchises | $602K – $1.6M | $35K | 6.1% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 132 Fast Food franchises by location count.
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for Church's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken franchisees (2014 – 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.
40 SBA loans on record
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Unlock SBA loan historyFranchisee Contacts
764 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
764 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily termination disputes, breach of contract, premature closures, failure to de-identify, and royalty damages with franchisees; franchisee counterclaims include improper termination, breach of good faith, and misrepresentation.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Predecessor QFA Royalties LLC and affiliates (QCE Finance LLC, American Food Distributors LLC, National Marketing Fund Trust, QAFT, Inc., QCE LLC) filed prepackaged Chapter 11 petitions in March 2014.
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Church's, Church's Chicken and Church's Texas Chicken franchise ranges from $644,366 to $1,808,972. This includes a franchise fee of $20,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
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