Although Chick-fil-A is not sold worldwide, the beloved American fast-food chain, known for its chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and the iconic “It’s my pleasure” phrase, has grown into one of the top restaurant chains in the industry.
Unlike many other global fast-food giants, Chick-fil-A has grown its business through a slow but intentional growth strategy. Since its founding in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946, this family-owned company has stayed true to its roots, including its well-known Sunday off policy, which reflects its emphasis on Southern hospitality and community values.
Chick-fil-A has long proven that bigger isn’t always better. Its steady expansion and continued high customer satisfaction levels show that prioritizing quality and service pays off.
Chick-fil-A has been named the best fast-food restaurant for 11 consecutive years, earning a solid 83 points in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Delivery Study.
Many might say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But Chick-fil-A is making a major strategic shift in its non-traditional restaurants, one that will reshape the company for years to come.
Chick-fil-A is converting its franchise locations on college campuses, hospitals and theme parks (excluding airports) to an owner-operator model. Under this franchise system, the operator runs the restaurant, manages day-to-day operations, and shares profits with the company, while Chick-fil-A retains ownership of the business assets.
The shift is intended to create a more consistent experience at Chick-fil-A restaurants. It will also enable customers to take advantage of the chain’s technology solutions, including its app, loyalty program and gift card redemption, benefits not currently available in authorized stores.
“At Chick-fil-A, we are committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience that is at the core of everything we do,” Chick-fil-A said in a release. “We are excited about this next chapter and believe our local ownership business model will allow us to serve and care for our guests for many years to come and extend Chick-fil-A’s great food and hospitality to even more places.”
As of December 31, 2024, Chick-fil-A operated approximately 3,109 domestic restaurants, including 2,684 company-operated and franchised locations, and 425 franchised locations, according to its franchise disclosure documents.
Surprisingly, the chain is also quietly closing stores, closing three mall units and 16 traditional restaurants in 2024. At the same time, it opened 132 new stores and 13 licensed stores.
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Total number of restaurants: 3,109 people
Company-operated restaurants: 55 Franchised restaurants: 2,629 Licensed restaurants: 425
More recently, Chick-fil-A has sought international expansion after years of operating exclusively in North America. In 2025, the company opened its first two overseas restaurants, including one in Leeds, UK, and another in Singapore due to open in mid-December.
While Chick-fil-A has positioned itself to be a huge success by staying true to its philosophy, some industry experts see limitations in its system.
“Chick-fil-A has undeniably one of the best fast food concepts in the world,” Franchise Sidekick founder and CEO Ryan Zink told Entrepreneur. “It has mastered the art of focus, quality and customer service. However, when it comes to franchise opportunities, it underperforms due to a lack of exit value and limited growth potential. While Chick-fil-A may be a dream come true for some lucky people, it may not align with the aspirations of those looking for a scalable and long-term franchise investment.”
Chick-fil-A’s total revenue will exceed US$9 billion in 2024, an increase of nearly 14% from the previous year, and system-wide sales will reach US$22.7 billion, growing steadily year by year.
These results place the chain among the top three restaurant brands in the U.S. by domestic system sales. McDonald’s (MCD) tops the list with sales of $53.5 billion in 2024, followed by Starbucks (SBUX) with sales of $30.4 billion.
However, it’s worth noting that both companies operate in far more U.S. locations than Chick-fil-A. By the end of 2024, McDonald’s had 13,559 restaurants and Starbucks had 16,935 restaurants.
If you feel like fast food prices have skyrocketed in recent years, that’s because they are, and there’s data to back it up.
According to Finance Buzz, menu prices in the industry have increased between 39% and 100% from 2014 to 2024, outpacing the national inflation rate of 33% during the same period.
Since 2014, Chick-fil-A prices have more than doubled, Starbucks prices have surged nearly 40%, and McDonald’s prices have increased 100%.
“This poses a major challenge to restaurants as home-cooked meals directly displace demand from dining establishments, resulting in reduced revenue and footfall,” said Sujeet Naik, analyst at Coresight Research.
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Despite this, these fast food chains have remained profitable by developing innovative products and continually improving their operating models to meet consumer demand.
“In response to falling food prices and consumer empowerment, restaurants are turning to innovative business and operating models to capture greater market share,” Paul Fultz, head of KPMG’s restaurant division, and Joel Rampoldt, head of consumer market strategy, said in a study.
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This article was originally published by TheStreet on December 5, 2025, and first appeared in the Restaurant section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.