Chick-fil-A announced that it will open restaurants in the United Kingdom as part of the company’s expansion across the globe. According to a press release, Chick-fil-A will open sites in Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool, and London. This will mark the first time the restaurant will have locations outside the United States.
“Serving communities is at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to bringing Chick-fil-A’s delicious food and signature hospitality to Belfast, Leeds, Liverpool, and London and continuing our long-term investment in the U.K.,” said Anita Costello, chief international officer for Chick-fil-A. “From job creation to supporting local causes, we are excited about the positive impact our first restaurants will have in the communities they serve.”
In light of opening the new U.K. locations, Chick-fil-A will donate £25,000—or $32,600—to local nonprofits in each city. As reported by Faithwire, each of these news locations will be able to participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which allows restaurant owners to donate leftover food to local shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and other nonprofits.
“We’ve always cared about the impact of our restaurants on the local communities that we serve, and we strive to positively impact areas throughout the U.K.,” said the head of Chick-fil-A’s U.K. operations, Joanna Symonds. “Caring for people while delivering great food is at the heart of our brand, and we encourage our local owner-operators to partner with organizations that support their local communities.”
Last year, the initiative served more than 7 million meals across the United States and Canada and plans to serve chicken sourced from the U.K. as well as 100% free range eggs raised on farms with welfare certification.
Overall, Chick-fil-A plans to invest over $100 million in the U.K. over the next 10 years, and the restaurant’s expansion into British locations will create approximately 400 new jobs at licensed and franchised restaurants.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Brandon Bell/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.