Chick-fil-A launches push into Asian market with first location in Singapore

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. fast food restaurant brand Chick-fil-A says it's marking its first expansion into Asia with a $75 million push targeting Singapore.

The Atlanta-based franchise chain, which has based its growth on its signature chicken sandwiches, revealed Thursday it will open its first Singapore location in late 2025 following a successful pop-up experience in June.

"The profound love that Singaporeans have for food, as well as the city's strategic position as a gateway to the Asian market, make it the ideal choice for Chick-fil-A's first permanent restaurant in the region," Chief International Officer Anita Costello said in a statement .

"We are grateful for the overwhelming support and positive response from Singaporeans so far and we look forward to serving them in 2025."

Chick-fil-A's Asian expansion comes on the heels of a similar first-time push into Britain planned for early 2025, which was announced last month. In that effort, the chain says it will invest more than $100 million over the next 10 years to build an overseas presence.

Chick-fil-A has become the third-largest restaurant chain in the United States by using a strategy of recruiting mostly single-unit owner-operators who share in the company's profits, according to the industry news website Restaurant Business.

But in Asia, it will face stiff chicken competition from KFC, which already operates more than 10,000 outlets in China.

The company's plans currently call for a $1 billion expansion into five international markets by 2030, the Wall Street Journal reported last year.

Chick-fil-A posted systemwide sales of $21.6 billion in sales in 2023, a 14.7% increase over 2022 and 43% over 2021, according to research by restaurant analyst Technomic Ignite -- placing it behind only McDonald's and Starbucks in the fast-service food industry.

The company, whose locations are closed on Sundays in accordance with the Christian religious beliefs of founder S. Truett Cathy, courted controversy in 2012 when current CEO Dan Cathy voiced opposition to gay marriage.

He later acknowledged it was a mistake for his company to take a position on the issue, although he said he remained personally opposed to gay marriage.

In 2019 Chick-fil-A announced it would no longer donate money to organizations that oppose same-sex and transgender rights.