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From the filings

+6.314% franchised outlets YoYHQ-led decisions

Chick-fil-A

Quick service restaurant

Chick-fil-A requires every one of its 2,863 restaurants to participate in the CFA One mobile app program as its designated electronic payment and promotion method. With franchised outlets growing 6.3% year over year and a mapped operator base of just 52 single-unit operators, technology decisions run almost entirely through Chick-fil-A's corporate office in Georgia.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
2,863
2,795 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
+6.314%
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
$8.79M
Item 19
Royalty
Complete royalty terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
0%
percentage component
Initial fee
$10K
per unit
Investment range
$318K–$3.46M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.

ZEISSZEISS
Industry softwareItem 2

Mr. Jones has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A since January 2021. He has served as a Board Member of Rollins, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia since May 2024, Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia since January 2022 and Outset Medical in San Jose, California since May 2022. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of Magna Vista Partners in Atlanta, Georgia since July 2022 and as Vice Chairman of Christoph Zeiss Partners since January 2026. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Diversified Search Group in Washington, D.C. from October 2013 until June 2022, and as a Corporate Director of Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from January 2005 to July 2022.

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 5 explicit no's; 7 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

Chick-fil-A will have independent access 53 to the data compiled by the hardware and software system used in your Restaurant.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

We and our affiliates are currently the only approved suppliers of certain products and services and approved suppliers of other products and services, as described above.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Item 8

We may change our approved suppliers and sole approved supplier designations at any time in the exercise of our sole and exclusive business judgment.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

1870222936

Item 8

In the year ended December 31, 2025, our total consolidated revenues from (i) Operator and Licensee purchases of the proprietary seasoning, seasoned coater, business services and operating supplies, utensils, and promotional goods, and (ii) Operator leases of the premises, sublicenses of captive venue unit concession…

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

Chick-fil-A may receive other forms of compensation directly or indirectly from approved or designated suppliers, which compensation may be in lieu of or in addition to the seasoning, coater and national advertising fund contributions and the incentives described above.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

38

Item 8

We estimate that your total purchases and leases from approved or designated suppliers will represent approximately 38% to 61% of your overall purchases and leases in operating your restaurant and 43% to 62% of your overall purchases and leases in establishing your franchised Chick-fil-A Restaurant business.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

We deal with requests for approval of alternative suppliers of goods on a case-by-case basis.

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 1

You must ensure that your computerized point-of-sale systems (the “POS Systems”) and your credit card processing terminals (whichever are responsible for processing credit card transactions) are in compliance with the most current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (“PCI-DSS”).

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

13.2 Chick-fil-A may assess and (a) Chick-fil-A, or its designee, impose fines and costs incurred against the shall have the right to inspect any Site at any Operator for any failure by the Operator to time during normal Business hours, without maintain all applicable Minimum Standards or notice to the Operator, to…

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Item 17

operations and training manuals and materials are subject to change at any time.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 11

Each franchised Operator is granted a license to operate a specific franchised Chick-fil-A Restaurant business location selected and approved by us.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Franchise agreement

The defined below), nor offer, promote or sell any Operator must display promotional signs and products or services, or make any use of the materials and otherwise participate in any such Marks through or on the internet or another promotional campaigns in the manner Chick- electronic system without Chick-fil-A’s…

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Item 11

In offering and accepting payment for goods and services sold in connection your Chick-fill-A Restaurant, You will be required to participate in the CFA 52 One mobile app program or any future electronic payment method programs required to be used by Operators as a method of operation and promotion.

Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?

Yes

Item 11

If a majority of the Operators in your area vote (or have previously voted) to implement a local or regional advertising fund or initiative, you will be required to participate and contribute to the fund or initiative, including without limitation the accrual and expenditure of funds.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

You must purchase all of the following items from suppliers who are approved in advance by Chick-fil-A: all present and future items of food and drink; all items of non-food inventory intended for sale to or use by your customers; all ingredients, food products, produce, mixes, spices, cooking aides, wrappings, food…

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You may not buy from any supplier that we have not yet approved in writing, and you must stop buying from any supplier who we approve initially, but later disapprove.

Payments

Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

You must accept and make payment for all goods and services sold and purchased in connection with your Chick-fil-A Restaurant only through payment methods, merchant processors, and POS systems expressly approved by Chick-fil-A.

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 11

In offering and accepting payment for goods and services sold in connection your Chick-fill-A Restaurant, You will be required to participate in the CFA 52 One mobile app program or any future electronic payment method programs required to be used by Operators as a method of operation and promotion.

People

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 8

These minimum standards and guidelines are specified in Chick-fil-A’s operations and training manuals and materials, and other confidential information provided by us to you.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

You must accept and make payment for all goods and services sold and purchased in connection with your Chick-fil-A Restaurant only through payment methods, merchant processors, and POS systems expressly approved by Chick-fil-A.

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

Chick-fil-A will have independent access 53 to the data compiled by the hardware and software system used in your Restaurant.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

Chick-fil-A may under the terms of the Franchise Agreement require the participation of Operators in these programs.

The filing answers no to 5 questions
  • Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
  • Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
  • Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
  • Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
  • Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Item 11

The vendor opportunity at Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A operates 2,863 restaurants, 2,795 of them franchised and 68 company-owned, out of its Georgia headquarters. Franchised outlets grew 6.3% year over year, and the Item 19 disclosure makes a financial performance representation. The mapped operator base is small and entirely single-unit — 52 operators across roughly 52 located units, the largest concentrations in Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Florida and New Jersey — which is consistent with Chick-fil-A's well-known single-operator model.

Who controls software purchasing

With no multi-unit operators in the mapped footprint, purchasing authority for technology sits almost entirely with Chick-fil-A's corporate office. President Susannah W. Frost, CEO Andrew T. Cathy, Chair Dan T. Cathy and Director Donald M. "Bubba" Cathy lead that office.

Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required

The FDD requires operators to participate in the CFA One mobile app program, or any future electronic payment method program Chick-fil-A requires, as a method of operation and promotion — participation the operator may have to fund at their own cost, including counter cards, signage and gift cards. Chick-fil-A obtains the point-of-sale hardware and software system and a management PC and leases them to the operator as part of the equipment rental, and payments must run only through payment methods, merchant processors and POS systems Chick-fil-A approves. Other hardware and software performing the same or a substantially similar function may be provided or approved by Chick-fil-A. If a captive-venue or delivery-kitchen premises owner supplies its own POS system, an operator's fees to Chick-fil-A may be reduced, and the operator may instead pay fees to that venue owner.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 requires operators to buy all present and future food and drink items from suppliers Chick-fil-A approves in advance, and the company reserves the right to designate a single supplier or a limited set for certain items. Bay Center is named as an approved, and in some regions the only approved, supplier of lemon juice. Chick-fil-A encourages and can require use of its system-wide purchasing and distribution programs, and operators must buy required insurance coverage through its approved program (with state-fund exceptions in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming). Operators may propose a supplier for approval. The franchise renews automatically in one-year increments absent 30 days' written notice from either side.

How to read the Chick-fil-A FDD

The embedded PDF viewer below is Chick-fil-A's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 11 and Item 8 cover technology and supplier requirements, Item 2 the officers, and Item 19 the financial performance representation. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of similar targets.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Chick-fil-A, answered from the filing

President Susannah W. Frost and CEO Andrew T. Cathy lead the corporate office that designates the CFA One mobile app and any future required electronic payment programs; the mapped operator base is 52 single-unit operators, so HQ carries the decision.
The FDD requires participation in the CFA One mobile app program, or any future required electronic payment method program, as a method of operation and promotion. Chick-fil-A obtains the POS hardware and software system and leases it to the Operator; other hardware or software performing a similar function may be provided or approved by Chick-fil-A.
2,863 total restaurants, 2,795 franchised and 68 company-owned, with franchised outlets growing 6.3% year over year.
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: all food and drink items must come from suppliers Chick-fil-A approves in advance, with a right to limit certain items to one or a few suppliers. Bay Center is named as an approved lemon juice supplier in some regions, and franchisees may propose a supplier for approval.
The franchise automatically extends in one-year periods unless either party gives written notice at least 30 days before the current term ends — a short, recurring cycle rather than a single long-dated renewal event.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds Chick-fil-A's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full — read Items 2, 8, 11 and 19 directly for the officers, sourcing, technology and financial-performance terms.
Source

Read the filing itself

Read the original document for the filing figures and their terms, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.

Chick-fil-A2026 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

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Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

52 operators run 52 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit52

Top states by locations

GA5
OH5
MI4
FL3
NJ3

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Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.