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

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

#131

Post by Reedx »

oflannabhra wrote: post #86

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…

Something I've been curious about that maybe you or others here have some insight on: Do you think they'd do even better if they were open 7 days/wk? Or is taking a day off one of the things contributing to their success?

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

#132

Post by blibble »

OatsAndHoney wrote: post #62
goldcd wrote: post #53

I have myriad issues with the personal ethics of the owners of Chick-fil-A - but their model does make sense to me. They're clearly not just wanting to sell their brand - they're wanting to own their brand. The 10k is just a token - It's maybe more than you have in your clearing account, but a figure that most people could likely produce and is just an indicator that "you're serious" Important part is that they put y…

They closed immediately after they opened in the U.K. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/u-k-s-first-chick-fi...

funny, I was there two weeks ago and it was open

(article dated October)

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

#133

Post by astronautjones »

forrestthewoods wrote: post #112
cryptoz wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Salvation Army is extremely anti-gay. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/12/16/21003560/salvation-... Please do not spread such dangerous falsehoods like stating that they have not been anti-gay. These false ideas can get people hurt. Salvation Army has a very long, very intense history of going out of its way to harm LGBT people.

> extremely, violently anti-gay Nice edit. They help 23 million people a year, without any type of discrimination. They have at least one dorm exclusively for transgender individuals. Their charity services literally benefit millions of LGBTQ individuals every year. But if you want to call that "extremely", "violently", or "intensely" anti-gay then I certainly can't stop you.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-salvation-armys-histo_b_4...

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

#134

Post by [deleted] »

hoten wrote: post #121
irrational wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[deleted]

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

#135

Post by maxerickson »

dave5104 wrote: post #107
xwowsersx wrote: post #45

> 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?

One reason might be that in the US, there are close to 14,000 McDonald's locations, but only close to 2,400 Chick-Fil-A locations. If you want McDonald's you have almost 6 different locations to consider for every 1 Chick-Fil-A. In other words, the "per store" metric isn't as impressive when you look at the number of stores.

Well, it depends on what your goals are. Maximizing overall revenue (the lots of stores model) isn't necessarily the best strategy.

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

#136

Post by lightedman »

xwowsersx wrote: post #45

> 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?

Their prices are absurd for what you're getting. The regular CFA sandwich here (chicken, pickles, toasted butter bun) is $4.29 each. I can go to Gus Jr. (a local option) and get the same chicken sandwich (same amount of chicken, same bun with butter) with more pickles and lettuce, for $0.99.

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

#137

Post by ficklepickle »

neuro_image3 wrote: post #40

Are there any viable franchises that are hands off? Like you put in the investment, hire manager(s) and earn revenue as the owner without having to invest a lot of time on the day to day operation?

Oh man. That's a loaded question. Short answer no, long answer noooooooo.

With years of work you might get close. Finding good people and aligning incentives so you retain them is not easy.

Most franchisees that try and be hands-off from the start crash and burn. Which makes sense, really. If it were a lucrative passive investment, the franchisor would just throw some money at it and keep all the profits.

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

#138

Post by lightedman »

frankharv wrote: post #89
frankharv wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also think their counter workers are some of the best. Maybe because of the religious ethos they promote. They actually care about making you happy. Have you seen the video of the McDonalds worker assaulting a customer because they complained about cold food. They are the worst. I also think the size of their chicken sandwich is the key. Not press-meat but a true 6 ounce breast filet. The other fast food stores use…

Oh yes let us not forget they have a double lanes drive through. During the busy periods they put order takers outside in line to take orders. They have so serious efficiencies. I like that.

"Oh yes let us not forget they have a double lanes drive through.

During the busy periods they put order takers outside in line to take orders."

In-N-Out was doing those a decade ago, easily. It was my first memory of eating at one, the line spilled out to the highway exit ramp, and they had people there outside running down the lanes and the street to take orders.

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

#139

Post by bronco21016 »

Reedx wrote: post #131
oflannabhra wrote: post #86

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…

Something I've been curious about that maybe you or others here have some insight on: Do you think they'd do even better if they were open 7 days/wk? Or is taking a day off one of the things contributing to their success?

I’m sure they would.

On this point. They shouldn’t be allowed in certain locations in my opinion because of this policy. Certain airports are already limited on options for eating and then they close on Sunday. It turns the airport dining experience upside down and its incredibly frustrating.

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

#140

Post by [deleted] »

adaisadais wrote: post #96
oflannabhra wrote: post #86

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…

Extremely well put. I completely concur. My first cousin is in the process of getting his “own” store now. While it has been a grind (he often worked the mythical 100+ hour week while in the Leadership Development Program) it will pay off handsomely. The best part of Chic-Fil-A (in my opinion) is not the food but their total devotion to the customer. The level of service you receive at a Chic-Fil-A freestanding store…

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