Chick-Fil-A Selects Toronto for First International Expansion

Chick-fil-A, the #1 chicken restaurant in the United States, today announced that it will open its doors in Toronto in 2019. These will be the company’s first franchisee-owned restaurants outside of the United States

“Toronto is a great city – with diverse and caring people and a vibrant restaurant culture with a deep talent pool,” said Tim Tassopoulos, president and chief operating officer, Chick-fil-A. “These strengths align perfectly with Chick-fil-A’s focus on community giving, delivering a premium product, and working with passionate people that can grow with our company – making Toronto the perfect choice for international expansion.”

Chick-fil-A is known for its handcrafted food made fresh in each location’s kitchen. The chicken, which will be Canadian sourced, is 100 per cent whole breast meat, without any fillers, hormones, or additives.

“The company has made a commitment to build long-standing partnerships with local suppliers

Chick-fil-A’s restaurant owners are the secret sauce of the company’s model, which is a differentiator in the quick service restaurant industry. Operators are full-time, hands-on business leaders who typically only own one restaurant. They are empowered to shape their restaurants from the front line every day, and their responsibilities include restaurant management, staff mentorship, and making choices about how best to serve the community. As a local small business owner, the Operator is incented to invest in talent through competitive pay and benefits along with training and leadership opportunities for staff.

Chick-fil-A is currently recruiting Operators for its Greater Toronto Area (GTA) locations offering a low economic barrier to entry for ownership ($15,000 CAD compared to $100,000 to $300,000 for many Canadian franchises). Sixty per cent of Chick-fil-A Operators come from within the company every year.

Chick-fil-A is focused on expansion in the GTA, with plans to open 15 stores in the next five years, creating 50 to 75 new jobs per location. The company has made a commitment to build long-standing partnerships with local suppliers and to find the perfect neighbourhoods in which to grow.