Franchise opportunities compared

    Chicken Salad Chick vs Church’s Chicken

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Chicken Salad Chick

    $802,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Church’s Chicken

    $1,114,650 – $1,636,300

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available

    Church’s Chicken

    $20,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17

    Royalty · Item 6

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available

    Church’s Chicken

    5%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Before you compare

    • Chicken Salad Chick figures come from its 2026 FDD and Church’s Chicken figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Only Chicken Salad Chick has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    $802,000
    - $998,500 Total Estimated Initial Investment ( D rive - T hru locations only): — 802000
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Church’s Chicken

    $1,114,650 – $1,636,300
    Estimated initial investment, Blaze Compact model
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Church’s Chicken

    $20,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Church’s Chicken

    5%
    Royalty fee
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    2%
    ss Sales as a Brand Fund contribution; however, we currently require you to pay — 2 — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Church’s Chicken

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    326
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59

    Church’s Chicken

    873
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    +146
    Calculated: 180 at end of 2023 → 326 at end of 2025

    Church’s Chicken

    −52
    Calculated: 925 at end of 2022 → 873 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Church’s Chicken

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Church’s Chicken

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Chicken Salad Chick

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Church’s Chicken

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    CSChicken Salad Chick
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All affiliate
    $1,506,433
    other All affiliate Total Gross Sales Average
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart2 affiliate
    44.9 percent
    other Chart2 affiliate exceeding average percent
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Chart1 franchised
    $1,500,394
    other Chart1 franchised Median Unit Volume
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 53
    +3 more groups in the full report
    Church’s Chicken

    No reviewed Item 19 figures

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Chicken Salad Chick vs Church’s Chicken: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Chicken Salad Chick or Church’s Chicken?
    Chicken Salad Chick: $802,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); Church’s Chicken: $1,114,650 – $1,636,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 25). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Chicken Salad Chick. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Chicken Salad Chick or Church’s Chicken?
    Chicken Salad Chick: 326 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 59); Church’s Chicken: 873 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Chicken Salad Chick and Church’s Chicken disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Chicken Salad Chick has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 location groups; Church’s Chicken has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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