Data Verification Status: Verified
Data for Chick-fil-A (License Program) was extracted directly from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document filed with state regulators (MN CARDS, WI DFI, or CA DFPI). The actual FDD was directly reviewed and all figures shown are sourced from the government filing. Deep extraction from 2025 License Program FDD filed with WI DFI (filing #638216). 330 pages. 295 pages read across all 23 Items, 6 exhibits deep-read (B-1, B-2, C, E, F, G), 13 state addenda decoded, 384 franchisee entities CID-decoded. 40 canonical families, 40 evidence-grounded fields. Scorecard: 100/100 post-gold-regression. Regression-checked against 3 gold sources with 7 recoveries and 3 conflict adjudications. Always verify current figures by requesting the most recent FDD directly from the franchisor.
Chick-fil-A (License Program)
Production-quality deep extraction — License Program FDD (WI DFI filing #638216), 330 pages, 20 output files, post-regression score 100%
Chick-fil-A License Program for non-traditional captive-site locations: universities, hospitals, airports, corporate campuses, and food courts. This is NOT the standard Chick-fil-A Operator franchise (free-standing restaurants). Licensees pay $0 initial fee but fund all build-out ($585K–$3.4M) and pay 10% of Gross Receipts (7% at transportation venues). No exclusive territory, no guaranteed renewal, zero transfers ever. 425 Licensed Units as of Dec 2024. Franchisor: Chick-fil-A, Inc. (GA corp, formed 1964). Key affiliates: CFA Supply (sole distributor in some areas), Bay Center Foods (proprietary lemon juice). PwC-audited financials: $9.06B total revenue, $1.04B net earnings, $16.6B total assets (2024). 13 state addenda (CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MN, NY, ND, RI, SD, VA, WA, WI).
Key Metrics
Total Investment
$585,500 – $3,437,000
Avg Revenue (Item 19)
$3,451,788
Gross revenue, 2025 FDD
Royalty Rate
10%
2025 FDD
Total Units
425
425 franchised · 0 company
Franchise Overview
| Parent Company | Chick-fil-A, Inc. |
| Year Founded | 1964 |
| Franchising Since | 1992 |
| Headquarters | GA |
| Category | Food & Beverage· quick-service chicken (license program) |
| States of Operation | 47 |
| FDD Year | 2025 |
Money: What You Pay, What You Make
Investment costs, ongoing fees, and disclosed revenue — FDD Items 5, 6, 7, and 19
Investment Anatomy
Where your initial investment goes — sourced from FDD Item 7.
Where Every Revenue Dollar Goes
Approximate allocation of each dollar of gross sales — from FDD Items 6, 8, and 19. Not a profit projection.
Diligence Scores
Computed from government-filed FDD data. Each score is 0–100. Methodology is public and citation-backed.
System Health
Based on Item 20 outlet trends
Franchisor Strength
Based on Item 21 financials + Items 3-4
Contract Burden
Based on Item 17 terms + Item 12 territory
Economics
Based on Item 19 + fee burden
Confidence
Data completeness + extraction quality
Composite Grade
Economics + Diligence + Confidence
Scores are editorial calculations from cited government filings (2025 FDD). They are not investment advice. Missing economics data does not indicate poor economics — it means Item 19 revenue data is unavailable for scoring. See methodology for details.
Data Coverage
Gov-filed FDD · 2025
11/11
items populated
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
| Disclosed metric: Reported Gross Sales— Profit not disclosed | |
| Average Gross Sales | $3,451,788 |
| Median Gross Sales | $3,152,764 |
| Units Included | 409 |
| Basis | open over 1yr |
| Time Period | Calendar Year 2024 |
= $3,451,788 avg revenue minus 10.0% disclosed fees (royalty 10%). Excludes labor, COGS, rent, debt service, taxes, and all other operating expenses. This is not profit.
Item 19 Data Quality
Before comparing this revenue figure to other brands, review these data-quality flags.
Gross sales
Figure represents gross sales — standard basis for cross-brand comparison.
Profit not disclosed
Item 19 reports revenue only. No expense breakdown is provided. Profit cannot be determined from this disclosure alone.
Excludes ramp-up units
Includes only units open longer than 1 year — which excludes the below-average ramp-up period. Actual first-year revenue is typically lower.
Strong sample (409 of 425 units)
96% of eligible units included — highly representative.
Data from 2024
Revenue covers 2024 — 2 years old. Reasonably current but worth confirming recent trends with existing franchisees.
Average and median close
Average ($3,451,788) and median ($3,152,764) are within 15% — reasonably even distribution.
Fee Structure
| Initial Franchise Fee | Not disclosed |
| Total Investment Range | $585,500 – $3,437,000 |
| Royalty | 10% |
| Marketing / Ad Fund | 0% |
| Other Ongoing Fees |
|
Operations: The Rules You Live By
Contract terms, territory, suppliers, training, and financing — FDD Items 8, 10, 11, 12, 17
Supplier Dependency — Item 8
Restrictions on where you must buy products and whether the franchisor profits from those arrangements.
Franchisor Receives Supplier Revenue
The franchisor or an affiliate receives rebates, commissions, or other compensation from required suppliers. This is a hidden cost — the effective price you pay for supplies is inflated above market rate.
“CFA received $1.779B from operator/licensee purchases (19.6% of $9.06B total revenue). CFA Supply (affiliate distributor) received $1.997B. Bay Center (affiliate lemon juice) received $186.6M. Warehouse goods priced at cost plus ~2.5% plus shipping. CFA may be sole supplier for trade-secret items.”
| Required Purchases | Yes — restricted |
| Approved Supplier List | Yes |
| Alternative Supplier Allowed | Yes (with approval) |
| Supplier Lock-in Score | 9/10High restriction |
Mandatory purchase categories: food ingredients, packaging, equipment, technology
Territory & Encroachment Risk — Item 12
Critical Encroachment Risk
NO exclusive territory — encroachment risk exists; franchisor may operate competing channels in your market; franchisor reserves online/ecommerce sales; no defined territory type.
✗ No
Exclusive Terr.
△ Yes
Franchisor Competes
△ Yes
Online Reserved
none
territory type
Source: FDD Item 12 (Territory) · Encroachment risk score is editorial analysis based on disclosed terms
Supplier Dependence — Item 8
Required purchases, approved suppliers & lock-in analysis
Critical Supplier Dependence
Alternative suppliers may be approved with permission; mandatory purchases required from approved sources; defined approved supplier list exists; franchisor or affiliate receives revenue from supplier arrangements; mandatory categories: food_ingredients, packaging, equipment….
Source: FDD Item 8 (Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services) · Lock-in score is editorial analysis
Management Quality — Item 2 (Business Experience)
Adequate Management Signal
Thin executive bench (≤1 senior role identified).
Source: FDD Item 2 (Business Experience) · Extraction confidence: medium
Franchisor Support — Item 11
Training program, field support & ongoing resources
Strong Franchisor Support
56h training program; 40h hands-on OJT plus 16h classroom; ongoing training program; field support team; technology/POS system provided.
Source: FDD Item 11
Contract Terms at a Glance
Key franchise agreement provisions — from FDD Item 17. These define your legal relationship.
System Health: Is It Growing or Shrinking?
Unit openings, closures, transfers, and geographic spread — FDD Item 20
Unit Economics — Item 20 (Outlets & Franchisee Information)
Units Opened
+18
Units Closed
-0
Units Transferred
0
| Net Growth | +13 units |
| Turnover Rate | 1.2% |
Outlet Churn Anatomy — Item 20
Exit-type breakdown for the 2025 FDD reporting period. Source: government-filed FDD.
distressed System
Warning: 100% of exits were franchisor-forced (terminations + non-renewals). This is a high-stress signal.
Opened
+18
Exited
-5
Net
+13
| Exit Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
Terminations (forced by franchisor) Franchisor forced closure. Can indicate unit non-performance or relationship breakdown. | 5 | 100% |
100% of exits were franchisor-forced (terminations + non-renewals). Industry benchmark: under 20% is normal.
Franchisor Strength: Can They Support You?
Financial health, litigation history, and audited statements — FDD Items 3, 4, 21
Litigation Summary — Item 3
Active Lawsuits
0
Trend
Lawsuit Types
2 resolved cases, 0 pending. (1) Chick-fil-A One data-breach class action settled $210K (2023). (2) Delivery-fee class action settled $4.4M (2024). No franchisees named in either case. Very clean litigation profile.
Franchisor Financial Strength — Item 21
Extracted from audited financial statements filed with the FDD.
Auditor
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
✓ Unqualified (clean) opinion
Financial Strength
strong
Derived from audited balance sheet
| Franchisor Financials (most recent audited year) | |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $9,062,620,436 |
| Total Assets | $16,587,589,467 |
| Total Liabilities | $10,744,189,725 |
| Equity | $5,843,399,742 |
| Net Income | $1,044,197,186 |
| Cash & Equivalents | $1,407,908,682 |
Franchisor P&L Snapshot
Visual summary of the franchisor's audited financials — from FDD Item 21 / Exhibit A.
Peer Benchmarks
Ranked within food-beverage franchises at a over $500K investment tier. All data from government-filed FDDs.
Chick-fil-A (License Program) ranks in the top 25% of peers for avg revenue (item 19)
Percentile rank vs. comparable franchises in the same category and investment tier. For revenue and growth: higher percentile = better. For fees and investment: lower percentile = better (bar shows relative advantage).
Filing Year Changes
Year-over-year comparison across multiple FDD filings. Source: government-filed disclosures.
Net Unit Growth — Item 20 (Multi-Year)
Green = system grew · Red = system shrank · Each bar = one filing year
Most recent
+13
net units 2024
Trends & Change Signals
Multi-factor trend detection across revenue, unit count, financials, and litigation. Includes year-over-year comparison.
Overall Trend: stable
No significant deterioration signals. Data is stable across tracked dimensions.
Unit Growth Trajectory
Growth declined by 4 units
Net +13 units (2024)
vs. Net +17 units (2023)
Unit Turnover Rate
Below average — healthy retention
1.2% annual turnover
Buyer Prep: What to Watch For
Key risk areas, questions for existing franchisees, and community insights
Key Risk Areas
9 from FDDVariable license term set by CFA at its sole discretion — not standardized like McDonald’s 20 years. Could be short.
No right to renew or extend. CFA may offer a new license at its sole discretion on then-current terms. This is not a contract right.
Zero transfers in any year (2022–2024) for both Licensed Units and Operator Restaurants. You CANNOT sell a Chick-fil-A license. No resale market exists.
CFA Supply and Bay Center may be sole approved suppliers in their geographies. Heavy affiliate supply-chain control ($2.18B combined affiliate revenue).
Pandemic/epidemic listed as non-curable default — CFA could legally terminate with no cure period if operations are frustrated by a pandemic.
60% of college/university locations do NOT reach the average revenue. Median is $898K; at 10% license fee, that’s ~$90K/year in fees alone before any other costs.
No expense data in Item 19. Revenue only. Best source of cost data is from current/former Licensees.
Site-dependent license: loss of site access (lease expiration, eviction) = loss of license. Site dependence IS the risk.
All litigation must be in Atlanta, Georgia area — out-of-state dispute risk highlighted as special state risk on FDD cover page.
Franchisee Interview Prep
Questions to ask current franchisees — generated from red flags, Item 20 exit data, and contract terms in the 2025 FDD. Prioritized: critical questions first.
0 units closed in the most recent FDD period (5 were forced terminations). Ask franchisees: what actually drove those closures — was it market conditions, operations, or franchisor decisions?
Look for: Franchisees who left voluntarily vs. those terminated. Any pattern by region, years in system, or franchisee profile.
How responsive is your franchisor rep — do they actually help when you have a problem, or are they just checking boxes?
Look for: Specific stories (not just vague positives). Ask about a time they needed help urgently — response time matters.
If you decided to sell your franchise tomorrow, how easy would that be? Has the franchisor ever blocked or delayed a transfer you wanted?
Look for: Transfer fee surprises, right-of-first-refusal complications, or franchisor demanding upgrades before approving a sale.
The Item 2 business experience section doesn't show prior franchise system experience in leadership. Ask: how does the corporate team support franchisees who are struggling operationally?
Look for: Whether they have franchise-specific field support, franchise advisory councils, or prior experience navigating the franchisor-franchisee relationship.
Item 2 lists very few senior executives. Ask: what happens to franchisee support if a key person leaves? Is there a succession plan?
Look for: Key-person risk is highest at early-stage or family-run franchisors. Look for documented processes vs. personality-driven operations.
What did your revenue look like in year 1 vs. year 2 vs. now? When did you reach breakeven?
Look for: Year 1 revenue is typically well below Item 19 averages (which often exclude ramp-up units). Expect 12-24 months to reach average.
What did the training actually cover vs. what you needed on day 1? What do you wish you'd learned before opening?
Look for: Gap between training content and operational reality. New franchisees often report the training covered theory but not real-world situations.
Knowing everything you know now, would you sign this franchise agreement again? What would you negotiate differently?
Look for: This is the single highest-signal question. Listen for hesitation. Franchisees rarely criticize their decision publicly; even mild reservations are meaningful.
Geographic Concentration
State distribution analysis from FDD Item 20 (Table No. 3).Coverage estimate based on aggregate state count — per-state breakdown pending full extraction.
Well Distributed
Present in 47+ states — strong geographic diversification reduces single-state risk.
47
States Active
national
Coverage Type
0.02
HHI (concentration)
2%
Est. top-state share
ℹ Per-state breakdown will be available after Item 20 state-table extraction completes for this brand.
Community
Not FDD dataAnonymous Owner Submissions
No owner submissions yet for Chick-fil-A (License Program). Be the first — your data helps future buyers.
Buyer Memo
One-page printable summary: investment, revenue, flags, and questions to ask.
View Memo →Full Diligence Memo
Item 19, system health, red flags, contract terms — cited to the filed FDD.
Full Analysis →Lender Readiness Pack
SBA-ready summary: investment ranges, scenario economics, franchisor financials.
View Lender Pack →Get the Full Report
Standard
$29
- Full score breakdown & analysis
- Red flag deep dive
- FDD summary (Items 1-23)
Premium
$79
- Everything in Standard
- Item 19 financial modeling
- Competitor comparison
- Community data overlay
Executive
$199
- Everything in Premium
- 10-year pro forma model
- Litigation deep dive
- Territory analysis & map
Data sourced from the 2025 FDD filed with a state franchise regulator (GA DFI/CARDS filing). Fields not extractable from the PDF are shown as not available. Last updated 2026-04-05.
Deep extraction from 2025 License Program FDD filed with WI DFI (filing #638216). 330 pages. 295 pages read across all 23 Items, 6 exhibits deep-read (B-1, B-2, C, E, F, G), 13 state addenda decoded, 384 franchisee entities CID-decoded. 40 canonical families, 40 evidence-grounded fields. Scorecard: 100/100 post-gold-regression. Regression-checked against 3 gold sources with 7 recoveries and 3 conflict adjudications.
Franchisel is independent and does not accept payments from franchisors. Scores reflect editorial analysis, not franchisor endorsement.