A well-known Atlanta chicken chain is set to enter the Chinese market, long dominated by a certain Kentucky-based incumbent.
Church’s Texas Chicken is set to enter China with the first of 600-store franchise agreement over the next several years in partnership with Shanghai Deke Shengtang Brand Management Co., Ltd., the private equity-owned company announced April 13.
Even after the full buildout, the network won’t rival KFC, which reportedly operates more than 13,000 locations across some 2,400 Chinese cities under the Yum China spinoff.
But the Shanghai location, set to open this summer, will constitute a solid start for Church’s, which has thrived in 26 other international markets but had long avoided taking the plunge in the world’s second largest economy.
“This is more than growth. It’s a defining moment for our brand,” Roland Gonzalez, CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken, said in a news release. “China is one of the most dynamic and influential consumer markets in the world, and we’re showing up with a brand that’s built for connection—big flavor, real value, and a spirit that brings people together. We’re excited to partner with a team that knows how to win locally.”
The announcement came a few days after Popeyes, formerly headquartered in Atlanta but now based in Miami and owned by Canada’s Restaurant Brands International, marked its return to the China by unveiling a new location in Beijing’s Wangfujing shopping district April 10.
Church’s often uses the Texas Chicken name in global markets, in part to avoid any religious connotation with its original moniker, despite it deriving from the name of the San Antonio founder, George W. Church, who opened the first location near the Alamo in 1952. Read more: How to Sell Church’s Chicken Overseas
Church’s has been in Asia for many years, specifically seven countries in Southeast Asia, and it has become well-known in the Middle East, with a presence in another seven countries there, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The Caribbean is another another stronghold for the brand, which also has locations in Canada and Honduras.
Church’s entered Germany last year as part of a 900-store international expansion that Mr. Gonzalez announced at the time would include locations in Hungary, Morocco, Georgia, Azerbaijan and other markets, part of a push to reach $2 billion in systemwide sales and grow its global footprint by 50 percent. Last year, the company had more than 1,400 locations worldwide bringing in $1.5 billion in sales.
Thursday’s announcement marks the latest foray by a Georgia-based chicken chain abroad: Chick-fil-A began its international expansion with restaurants in the United Kingdom in 2025.
That brand hasn’t unveiled plans for China, though Singapore is on its roadmap.
