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Chick-fil-A is set to open its first Asian restaurant in Singapore in 2025, part of a 10-year, $75 million plan to expand into the Southeast Asian city-state.
Singapore will become the beachhead in Asia for the Atlanta-founded chicken chain, which is in the midst of a $1 billion global expansion that began last year with a $100 million commitment to the United Kingdom, where it plans to open its first store early next year.
Chick-fil-A is not hurting for growth in the U.S., where it’s the third-largest quick-service restaurant by sales, generating an estimated $21.6 billion in volume across 3,000-plus locations in 2023.
But the Cathy family, which retains ownership of the privately held chain, started thinking seriously as early as 2016 about the opportunity in foreign markets, which have been a boon to many of its competitors.
“The profound love that Singaporeans have for food as well as the city’s strategic position as a gateway to the Asian market make it the ideal choice for Chick-fil-A’s first permanent restaurant in the region,” said Anita Costello, chief international officer at Chick-fil-A Inc., in a statement.
The company didn’t disclose a planned number of locations in Singapore or Asia.
Chick-fil-A tested the market with a pop-up event in June during which 1,000 people tried the company’s original chicken sandwich over three days, helping the company gain insight on local preferences.
According to The Straits Times, a local news outlet, all 600 tickets were reserved within 90 minutes, and the operation of the event at the Esplanade Mall was smooth, facing none of the challenges that have plagued other brands’ pop-ups in the country.
Using a $10 suggested donation, Chick-fil-A raised 30,000 Singapore dollars (about $22,800) for the Community Chest of the government’s National Council of Social Service.
As in the United Kingdom, Chick-fil-A plans to replicate its owner-operator model in Singapore, a stark contrast with brands that set up strict agreements requiring master franchisees to open multiple locations in new markets. Some 80 percent of Chick-fil-A’s operators own only one store.
The company has set up a website to recruit applicants for owner-operators, playing up the company’s focus on community engagement and empowerment. New franchisees will have a chance to participate in the company’s Shared Table food donation program.
“We are thrilled to introduce Chick-fil-A to Singapore, bringing new jobs and opportunities as we support the local community. Serving our Guests with high-quality food and signature hospitality remains our top priority as we do so,” said Hugh Park, head of Chick-fil-A (Asia) Pte Ltd., in a news release.
On its United Kingdom expansion, the company has been working with the British government’s Department for Business and Trade, Philipp Clark, the Atlanta consulate’s new director of trade, noted during a Springboard to Europe event Oct. 9.
During a trip to Atlanta in early October, the U.K. Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission James Roscoe visited the Chick-fil-A headquarters during a trip to Georgia, pausing for a photo opp on the set of its “little things” commercials.
The British Consulate’s Instagram page asserted that it’s a “big thing” for the Atlanta-based chain to create 400 jobs across the five planned U.K. locations.
During his trip, Mr. Roscoe also attended the UGA-Auburn football game at Sanford Stadium in Athens and accompanied a group of tech companies from the north of England as they arrived for Venture Atlanta.