Chick-Fil-A Is Opening Its First Permanent UK Locations In 4 Major Cities

Chicken lovers in the United Kingdom will finally be able to enjoy the taste of Chick-fil-A on their home turf with four new permanent locations. The company, known for its chicken sandwiches and signature Chick-fil-A sauce, recently announced a 10-year plan to expand the fast food brand across the pond as part of a "long-term investment in the U.K." The first step in the company's European expansion plan includes opening five locations in four cities: Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool, and London.

These locations are set to open within the next two years, and will be locally owned and operated franchises. The chicken and egg products will also be locally sourced, according to Chick-fil-A's announcement. This initial U.K. expansion is expected to create approximately 400 new jobs and add to the over 3,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants currently operating across 48 U.S. states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich claimed the top spot on Food Republic's ranking of the best fast food chicken sandwiches, so U.K. residents have quite a bit to look forward to.

These new locations in Liverpool, Belfast, Leeds, and London won't be the United Kingdom's first introduction to Chick-fil-A. In 2019, the fast food chain opened a pop-up location in Reading, England, but it did not extend its six-month lease following protests from local LGBTQ+ activists. U.K. residents on Reddit recalled this initial backlash, and have expressed doubts about Chick-fil-A's reception in certain European cities.

"Honestly, they got hounded out [of] Reading a few years back last time they tried to crack the U.K. market," one user wrote. "I seriously doubt Liverpool will go any smoother." Another user expressed their discontent, writing: "Hell no ... Hope this fails." Despite this, Chick-fil-A remains set to expand permanently into Europe soon.

According to Chick-fil-A, the chicken fast food chain is "the third largest quick service restaurant company in the United States," and it now hopes to extend that title to international markets. The chain has invested $100 million in its European expansion, and also aims to grow across Europe and Asia beginning in 2025. Only time will tell how well the chicken chain is received by international customers.