A major fast-food institution is establishing roots in the UK and has confirmed the location and opening time for one of its new branches. Chick-fil-A, a US chain that specialises in chicken sandwiches, launched two Belfast branches in January and February this year.
Three others had also been announced back in September last year. It’s part of plans to open a total of five across the country in the first two years, and “invest more than $100 million [around £75million] in the UK in the next 10 years”, the firm said in a press release in August 2025.
It’s also planning to open its first restaurant in Singapore later this year.
Chick-fil-A says the restaurants will be “led by local Owner-Operators with roots in the countries where the company is expanding, and each location will add 70-120 new jobs from local hires”.
The opening of the first UK store outside of Northern Ireland is now just hours away. The full list of new stores and publicly available information about their opening times and locations includes:
- Leeds – 34-35 Commercial Street (LS1 6EX) on Thursday, October 23.
- Liverpool – opening date and location TBC
- London – opening date and location TBC
Andrew T. Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, Inc said: “Expanding in both Europe and Asia is a meaningful milestone for Chick-fil-A.
“The investments we’re making in the UK and Singapore not only present opportunities for our business, but are also a chance for us to bring what makes Chick-fil-A special to new places – great food and remarkable hospitality, our unique franchise model and the positive impact we have in communities.”
Anita Costello, chief international officer for Chick-fil-A, Inc said: “Wherever we do business, our unique franchise model and the dedication of our local Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators who are deeply involved in their restaurants every day are the keys to our success.
“In Europe and in Asia, our first local Owner-Operators are from Great Britain and Singapore and bring a deep understanding of the communities they serve.
“Not only will they be hiring great local talent to deliver an authentic Chick-fil-A experience at their restaurants, but they’ll also be making an impact by building meaningful connections as they invest in the needs of the neighborhoods where they’ll be serving guests.”