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It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

thehustle.co

121–130 of 233 posts

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#121

> At $4.2m per store, Chick-fil-A’s average revenue is the highest of any fast-food chain in America, dwarfing both direct competitors (KFC; $1.2m) and bigger brands (McDonald’s; $2.8m) Wow, I did not know this. Why is that?

They opened up the first one near me in a Portland Oregon suburb. The place was packed whenever they were open with drive-thru cars spilling out into the street. I thought the madness would end after a few days/weeks, but it's been years and they still have a huge draw. I went in there once just to try it. It was good, but not the best thing I've ever had. I wonder if it is nostalgia from people from the SE USA that…

That's just the thing- it's not good, it's consistently good. That's the draw.

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#122

> At $4.2m per store, Chick-fil-A’s average revenue is the highest of any fast-food chain in America, dwarfing both direct competitors (KFC; $1.2m) and bigger brands (McDonald’s; $2.8m) Wow, I did not know this. Why is that?

They opened up the first one near me in a Portland Oregon suburb. The place was packed whenever they were open with drive-thru cars spilling out into the street. I thought the madness would end after a few days/weeks, but it's been years and they still have a huge draw. I went in there once just to try it. It was good, but not the best thing I've ever had. I wonder if it is nostalgia from people from the SE USA that…

Chick-Fil-A's in the SE (or at least NC) are also packed to the brim whenever it is close to a meal time. Although they don't serve the best food in the world the customer service is excellent, the food is pretty good for fast food and it is consistent in matter which location you go to, and you can get your food much faster than other places despite the massive crowds.

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#123

Honestly, until now I always thought that chick-fil-A would do like wraps with chickpeas in from the name. I wonder how little they realise their brand holds weight in the UK. I know I'm only a single datapoint, but a lot of these american fast food names that haven't come to the UK already have quite a hurdle to jump.

And not, say, serve chicken fillets?

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was it Quiznos with the franchisee committing suicide in the store bathroom with a shotgun?

Yup. But it was more than that one guy, the whole model was crap and they kept selling more units... https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/brief-his...

Which is really a shame since the sandwiches are so good.

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#125

I know several CFA owner-operators, and this article is mostly on point. Some of the comments I’ve seen are a bit off. 2 of the 3 owner-operators I know have multiple locations, although this is rare. Income estimates are a bit low for typical stores I’d be surprised if any owner operator of a freestanding unit is below $250k. Also, the estimates of worked hours are a bit high. All the owner operators I know have gre…

And when Chick-Fil-A say they provide IT, it’s far far more than you might think!

https://medium.com/@cfatechblog/bare-metal-k8s-clustering-at...

https://medium.com/@cfatechblog/edge-ai-in-a-smarter-chick-f...

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#126
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm an industrial engineer, so these sorts of questions fascinate me. My intuition is their revenue is so much higher because of a mix of higher service people are willing to pay for (almost casual versus definitively fast food), higher average cost per person, and cheaper inputs (chicken versus beef price per pound). # Speed of Service I've ordered Chick-fil-a and literally been handed my food before the credit was…

And ability to execute consistently across the chain. That's the real miracle here. Everyone else is hit or miss. I don't think I've ever seen a bad Chick-fil-A...

They exist. The Chick Fil A outside of Hilton Head Island, SC was a total dump as of a few years ago. It closed.

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#127

> At $4.2m per store, Chick-fil-A’s average revenue is the highest of any fast-food chain in America, dwarfing both direct competitors (KFC; $1.2m) and bigger brands (McDonald’s; $2.8m) Wow, I did not know this. Why is that?

They opened up the first one near me in a Portland Oregon suburb. The place was packed whenever they were open with drive-thru cars spilling out into the street. I thought the madness would end after a few days/weeks, but it's been years and they still have a huge draw. I went in there once just to try it. It was good, but not the best thing I've ever had. I wonder if it is nostalgia from people from the SE USA that…

Lemonade, yo!

Honestly though, my guess is probably consistent customer service- everyone seems to be happy- and consistently high quality food.

Also, where else would I get waffle fries?

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#128
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It hits square in the middle of the “healthy” fast food market. It is perceived to be slightly more upscale and less bad for you than the traditional burger chains. It is literally the default choice for soccer moms ferrying kids among afternoon activities.

Fried chicken sandwiches are somehow healthy?

People believe that red meat is awful, unethical and destroying the planet.

It’s sort of like how folks won’t eat pork.

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#129

Honestly, until now I always thought that chick-fil-A would do like wraps with chickpeas in from the name. I wonder how little they realise their brand holds weight in the UK. I know I'm only a single datapoint, but a lot of these american fast food names that haven't come to the UK already have quite a hurdle to jump.

Their name literally means "Chicken Filet". Why would you think chickpeas?

Re: It costs $10k to ‘own’ a Chick-fil-A franchise

#130

> At $4.2m per store, Chick-fil-A’s average revenue is the highest of any fast-food chain in America, dwarfing both direct competitors (KFC; $1.2m) and bigger brands (McDonald’s; $2.8m) Wow, I did not know this. Why is that?

An average like this doesn't necessarily mean the high end is good, it can also mean the absence of a low end dragging it down. An average like this means selectivity, avoiding out-of-the-way or oversaturated neighborhoods that would see less business.
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