Chick-fil-A is apparently human.
The fast-food chicken sandwich chain, for whom extraordinary growth has been a rite of passage, saw sales growth slow in 2024 amid a difficult market for quick-service restaurants.
U.S. system sales grew 5.4% in 2024, according to data from the company’s franchise disclosure document, which was made public on Wednesday. Systemwide sales in the U.S. were $22.7 billion, up from $21.6 billion in 2023, according to the FDD.
It was the first time Chick-fil-A’s system sales grew less than 10% in the U.S. since 2013, when its system sales grew 9.3%, and it was the lowest rate of growth in at least 19 years.
To put that into perspective, the chain’s system sales had grown an average of 15.5% between 2020 and 2023 and never below 12.7%. Until last year, the company had averaged 14% system sales growth since 2006.
The company’s growth in 2024 came entirely from unit count. Chick-fil-A now has more than 3,100 locations in the U.S., up 4.9%.
Chick-fil-A’s extraordinary growth has traditionally been driven by a combination of strong growth at existing units coupled with steady expansion in the number of restaurants. And even with last year’s weaker-than-expected sales growth it remains the country’s third-largest restaurant chain and still added another $1.2 billion in sales in 2024, and $9 billion since 2020.
The company also generated more sales growth last year than most of its fellow big fast-food chains, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Subway.
The company’s average-unit volumes in 2024 were $7.4 million, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic. That was the same level as in 2023.
And stand-alone locations in particular remain some of the busiest restaurants in the industry, regardless of service type. A typical Chick-fil-A outside of the mall generates $9.3 million, but that was down slightly from the $9.4 million in 2023, according to the company’s FDD.
Chick-fil-A might be seeing some of the same issues faced by much of the fast-food sector. Consumers were frustrated by rising menu prices and started reducing their overall visits as a result.
In June, for instance, the American Customer Satisfaction Index gave Chick-fil-A its highest ranking among limited-service chains. But that was still a drop of 2% from the year before. And the index suggested that value was at the heart of the decline.
Chick-fil-A is also encountering considerable competition in the chicken space, where chains like Raising Cane’s—which now boasts average unit volumes above $6 million—and Wingstop are gaining traction. And numerous fast-food chains serve upgraded chicken sandwiches, which provides consumers options outside of the Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A.
The busiest Chick-fil-A did generate more sales last year, according to the FDD: The busiest of the chain’s restaurants generated $19.3 million in sales in 2024, up 15% compared with the year before. Mall locations now generate $4.5 million on average, according to the FDD—and the highest volume among those types of units was $19 million.
The company also reported the average unit volumes for its delivery kitchens. Chick-fil-A has four such kitchens and they generated an average of $3.5 million in sales.
Chick-fil-A is opening more units internationally, thanks to a strong showing in Canada. The company now operates 22 locations there, up from 13 the year before. The brand is now eyeing expansion into the U.K.
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