Chick-fil-A’s international ambitions are not limited to Europe.
The Atlanta-based chicken sandwich chain on Thursday said that it plans to open its first restaurant in Asia next year, with plans to open a location in Singapore.
The company views Singapore as a “gateway” to Asia, a major prize in international restaurant development for a host of fast-food chains. Chick-fil-A said it plans to invest $75 million over the next decade to build restaurants in Asia.
Chick-fil-A held a pop-up event in Singapore in June to introduce the brand to the community. More than 1,000 people tried one of the chain’s chicken sandwiches over a three-day period and customers made donations to Community Chest, a philanthropic arm of Singapore’s National Council of Social Service.
“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,” Anita Costello, chief international officer for Chick-fil-A, said in a statement.
Chick-fil-A is the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S., thanks to its network of high-volume fast-food restaurants run largely by single-unit owner-operators. But it has a tiny presence outside the U.S., far less than most major quick-service chains.
Among the 20 largest restaurant chains in the U.S., only Sonic—with no international locations—had a smaller international presence.
The company is intent on changing that. Chick-fil-A is opening more locations in Canada. And last month it revealed plans to open five locations in the U.K. as part of a $100 million investment in that country.
Chick-fil-A plans to expand internationally with the model that made its brand work, using owner-operators who run their single restaurants and share in the profits. “Chick-fil-A’s owner-operators are small business owners, not passive investors,” the company said in its release.
“Our unique approach, with locally owned and operated restaurants, will also allow us to better connect with people in Singapore as we provide an authentic Chick-fil-A experience,” Hugh Park, head of Asia Pacific operations with Chick-fil-A (Asia) Pte Ltd., said in a statement.
Chick-fil-A will encounter a complex market for international expansion, as geopolitical issues, mounting local competition and economic concerns have hurt some chains’ sales in places like China. It also will face off against a powerful competitor in KFC, which operates some 27,000 international restaurants, including more than 10,000 in China.
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