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| Chick-fil-A on Wednesday announced its plans to open up a Toronto location in 2019. A Chick-fil-A logo is pictured at one of its restaurants on July 28, 2012 in Bethesda, Maryland. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/GettyImages |
By Andrew N. White, International Business Times
Chick-fil-A on Wednesday announced it is expanding its business outside the U.S. for the first time and will open more than a dozen franchises in Canada.
The fast-food chain said it will open at least 15 locations in the Greater Toronto area within the next five years, with the first three franchises opening sometime in 2019, creating up to 75 jobs at each location.
"Toronto is a great city – with diverse and caring people and a vibrant restaurant culture with a deep talent pool," said Tim Tassopoulos, Chick-fil-A’s president and chief operating officer.
[post_ads]"These strengths align perfectly with Chick-fil-A's focus on community giving, delivering a premium product, and working with passionate people that can grow with our company – making Toronto the perfect choice for international expansion."
Toronto customers can expect the same food options currently offered at U.S. locations. The meat used at the new sites will be Canadian sourced, the company said. Chick-fil-A is known for its breaded chicken, with no added hormones or fillers, cooked in 100 percent peanut oil.
Chick-fil-A is currently recruiting operators for its Toronto stores. The company will charge 15,000 Canadian dollars ($11,430) for those seeking to open a franchise in the area. By comparison, McDonald’s requires between $1 million and $2.2 million in startup costs and a $45,000 franchise fee, according to the company’s website.
News of Chick-fil-A’s Canadian expansion comes after the company announced this week it would test meal-kits at 150 of its Atlanta restaurants starting late August. The new kits, priced at $15.89, will feature five exclusive recipes customers can cook at home.
Founded in 1946 in Hapeville, Georgia, Chick-fil-A, has more than 2,300 restaurants in 47 states and Washington, D.C. Bloomberg in 2014 valued the privately held company at $5.5 billion.
