Chicken Salad Chick^®

Food & Beverage • Year: 2025

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What Is Chicken Salad Chick?

Chicken Salad Chick is a fast-casual franchise specializing in a limited menu of specialty chicken salads, gourmet side items, and soups. Restaurants serve dine-in and carryout customers, offer catering services, may include drive-thrus, and can operate limited satellite re-sale locations. Revenue is generated from retail sales of chicken salads (including individual and pound quantities), sides, proprietary dessert products, and catering. Typical units are approximately 2,800 square feet with seating for about 82 and are most likely located in suburban retail districts with concentrations of shopping centers.

Chicken Salad Chick Franchise: Pros and Cons

A perfect 100 training and support score and 82 company-owned units show unusually strong onboarding and hands-on operational experience, but estimated startup costs of $777,000 (plus a $50,000 initial franchise fee) are well above typical and will require materially more cash or financing.

Pros

Training and support score of 100 is well above typical, indicating unusually strong onboarding and ongoing field support compared with industry peers.

Zero disclosed lawsuits, zero franchisor enforcement actions, zero government penalties, zero franchisee judgments/settlements, and zero outlet terminations/non-renewals is well below typical for Food & Beverage, giving you a notably clean legal and compliance record.

82 company-owned units is well above typical for Food & Beverage, meaning the franchisor operates a large corporate fleet and has hands-on operational experience to test and refine systems before franchising them.

Cons

Estimated startup costs of $777,000 are well above typical, so you'll need materially more cash on hand and likely external financing than most F&B concepts.

There are 36 signed-but-not-open units, well above typical for all systems, which could mean the franchisor is selling agreements faster than it can support openings or facing site/buildout delays.

The initial franchise fee of $50,000 is well above typical for Food & Beverage, increasing your upfront cash required before operations begin.

Lawsuits & Legal Risk

100

Excellent

The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Territory Protection

48/100

NORMAL

Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units. The franchisor retains the right to sell via e-commerce and alternative distribution channels, operate in non-unit venues and retail, acquire and convert nearby locations, and develop additional units in the surrounding market; protection is contingent on meeting performance quotas and allows site-specific relocation by the franchisee.

Training & Support

100

Excellent

The brand provides a robust 80-hour training curriculum designed to prepare three managerial staff members for launch. The program includes on-site launch support to ensure operational readiness; travel and lodging expenses, as well as any fees for additional on-site support, are the responsibility of the franchisee.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Chicken Salad Chick Franchise?

Opening a Chicken Salad Chick franchise requires a total initial investment of $777,000 to $994,500, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This range covers the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and initial working capital needed to launch and operate through the early months.

Minimum Investment

$777,000

Franchise Fee

Real Estate

Equipment & Assets

Reserves

Training

Other

Maximum Investment

$994,500

Minimum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$50,000

Real Estate$441,000

Equipment & Assets$224,000

Reserves$20,000

Training$5,000

Other$37,000

Maximum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$50,000

Real Estate$556,000

Equipment & Assets$298,000

Reserves$30,000

Training$9,000

Other$51,500

Investment Analysis

This investment analysis is coming soon. Have ideas for other analyses you'd like us to add? Get in touch.

The initial investment amounts shown are estimates only. Actual costs may vary based on location size, business model, and multi-unit ownership arrangements. We recommend reviewing the full Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.

How Much Do Chicken Salad Chick Franchise Owners Make?

Chicken Salad Chick franchise locations reported average gross sales of $1,483,045 and median gross sales of $1,462,437 in 2025, based on financial performance data disclosed in Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Average Gross Sales:

$1,483,045

Median Gross Sales:

$1,462,437

High Gross Sales:

$2,698,730

Low Gross Sales:

$605,415

Sample Size:

177

Percent Attaining Average:

47.0%

Franchise vs Corporate Performance: Franchised restaurants reported slightly higher average annual gross sales (1483045) than affiliate-owned restaurants (1422138), while affiliate-owned units report an average EBITDA of 188381, indicating meaningful operating profit at the affiliate level despite lower average sales.

Performance Variability Analysis: There is substantial variability in unit performance—franchised unit sales range from 605415 to 2698730—and about 47% of franchised units exceed the average, indicating a roughly symmetric split around the mean but with a wide high/low spread.

Data Scope and Limitations: The data covers only restaurants open for the full 2024 calendar year and excludes openings/closures during 2024; expense/P&L detail is limited to affiliate-owned units and none of the submitted information was independently audited.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to open a Chicken Salad Chick franchise?

The total initial investment for a Chicken Salad Chick franchise ranges from $777,000 to $994,500, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and working capital.

What is the Chicken Salad Chick initial franchise fee?

The initial franchise fee for Chicken Salad Chick is $50,000, as stated in the 2025 FDD. This fee is paid upon signing the Franchise Agreement.

How much do Chicken Salad Chick franchise owners make?

Chicken Salad Chick franchise locations reported average gross sales of $1,483,045 and median gross sales of $1,462,437 in 2025, based on Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Actual earnings vary by location, market, and operator experience.

Does Chicken Salad Chick have any franchise lawsuits or legal issues?

Chicken Salad Chick received a legal risk score of 100 out of 100 in the 2025 FDD analysis. The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Does Chicken Salad Chick offer exclusive franchise territories?

Chicken Salad Chick received a territory protection score of 48 out of 100. Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units.

What training does Chicken Salad Chick provide to new franchisees?

Chicken Salad Chick received a training and support score of 100 out of 100. The brand provides a robust 80-hour training curriculum designed to prepare three managerial staff members for launch.

How many Chicken Salad Chick franchise locations are there?

Chicken Salad Chick had 288 total locations as of the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.

What type of business is Chicken Salad Chick?

Chicken Salad Chick is a fast-casual franchise specializing in a limited menu of specialty chicken salads, gourmet side items, and soups.

Interested in Chicken Salad Chick?

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