Chicken Salad Chick
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Chicken Salad Chick franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Chicken Salad Chick franchise specializes in made-from-scratch chicken salad varieties served alongside soups, sandwiches, and sides in a fast-casual restaurant
Headline figures
Chicken Salad Chick quick facts
- Is Chicken Salad Chick a franchise?
- Yes. Chicken Salad Chick offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 252 franchised and 74 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 59).
- How much does it cost to open a Chicken Salad Chick franchise?
- The Chicken Salad Chick Franchise Disclosure Document reports an estimated initial investment of $802,000 for its multi-unit format (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 19). This is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- Does Chicken Salad Chick disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The Chicken Salad Chick FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 53). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many Chicken Salad Chick locations are there?
- The FDD reports 326 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 59). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is Chicken Salad Chick a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: Item 19 includes financial performance figures; check which locations and period they cover; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1Opening costs are estimated at $802,000 (- $998,500 Total Estimated Initial Investment ( D rive - T hru locations only): — 802000) in the 2026 FDD (Item 7); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 6 separate groups: adjusted operating results for 69 Affiliate-owned SSRGII locations; other measures and revenue for 69 Affiliate-owned SSRG II LLC locations; other measures and revenue for 214 Franchised; includes12restaurants affiliate operated part-year then sold Jan20/March17 locations; adjusted operating results for 23 Affiliate-owned SSRGII locations; adjusted operating results for 23 Affiliate-owned SSRGII locations; adjusted operating results for 23 Affiliate-owned SSRGII locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets grew by 39 in 2025, to 326 (United States, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Chicken Salad Chick head-to-head
Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Total estimated initial investment
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
33 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
6 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
69 locations
Adjusted operating results · 69 locations
Adjusted company-owned results: the franchisor adjusted these centers' expenses to estimate franchisee costs. They are not observed franchisee results or owner take-home income.
- Who is counted
- All affiliate
- Excluded
- 37 franchised+5affiliate new openings;3franchised closures;1franchise fire-closure;1affiliate college-campus seasonal excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchisee reports/SSRGII operating records; GrossSales includes business interruption proceeds; sales not profit. EBITDA arithmetic from average/median lineitems;includes2salariedmanagers;royalties excluded, hypothetical franchise royalty listed separately; marketing affiliate spend;costgoods food/beverage/delivery/paper.
These groups are never combined. Adjusted company-owned operating results cannot be divided by franchised revenue to calculate a franchisee profit margin.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
United States, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59
Net +146 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($802,000) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units went from 287 to 326 in 2025. How many new units opened, closed or changed hands?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Estimated initial investment — Item 7 · PDF p. 19
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All affiliate · PDF p. 53; PDF p. 54
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart2 affiliate · PDF p. 53
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart1 franchised · PDF p. 53
- [5]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Bottom third affiliate · PDF p. 57
- [6]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Middle third affiliate · PDF p. 56
- [7]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top third affiliate · PDF p. 54; PDF p. 55
- [8]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 59
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page. Source document: FDD
Territory & operations
382 addresses in Franopolis's imported location list. Coverage may differ from Item 20 outlet counts.
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | other accrued expenses | $1,757,857 |
| 2025 | total other assets | $67,363,882 |
| 2025 | total current assets | $1,725,564 |
| 2025 | cash and cash equivalents | $349,972 |
| 2025 | total revenue | $18,579,642 |
| 2025 | intangible s | $27,180,000 |
| 2025 | depreciation | $225,971 |
| 2025 | change in royalties fees receivable | -$97,043 |
| 2025 | change in accrued expenses | $519,143 |
| 2025 | investing activities purchases of property and equipment | -$133,723 |
| 2025 | property and equipment, net | $1,094,430 |
| 2025 | royalties fees receivable | $564,632 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format, overlapping investment range, Item 20 outlet count and search interest. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Head-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Reader notes on wording
Our automated check found that these summaries may not match the FDD's exact wording. Read the FDD excerpt itself; it is the authoritative text. Core cost, fee, Item 19 and outlet figures are not affected.
Item 21 · PDF p. 157 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Total current liabilities — Dec29 2024
“Total current liabilities 3,546,457 2,524,341”
Note: The FDD has conflicting December 29, 2024 total current liabilities figures: this balance sheet reports 2,524,341, while another attached statement reports 2,680,789.
Item 21 · PDF p. 157 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Accounts payable — Dec29 2024
“Accounts payable $ 213,471 $ 378,973”
Note: The FDD has conflicting December 29, 2024 accounts payable figures: this balance sheet reports 378,973, while another attached statement reports 297,601.
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.