Chicken Salad Chick Franchise Review 2026: Ratings & Verdict

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

Chicken Salad Chick fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$777K - $1.0M

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$50K

Royalty (Item 6)

5% + 2% ad

Item 19 median rev

$1.5M franchised units

System size (Item 20)

252 +49

Agreement term

10 yrs

Years in business

14+ yrs

Training (Item 11)

14 days

Company-owned units

82

Model Chicken Salad Chick's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.

Buyer qualifications

✓Exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓No bankruptcy disclosed

Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,500,000

$100k$2.8M

Royalty (5%)

—

Ad fund (2%)

—

Total / year

—

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

326

Total units open

49 franchised + 5 company-owned = 54

Units opened last year

3

Units closed last year

3 franchised ceased operations + 0 terminations + 0 non-renewals + 0 reacquired

54 − 3 = 51

Net unit growth

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.

4

Risks to review

3

Strengths identified

3

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How Chicken Salad Chick ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

82nd pct · of 811 peers

Franchise fee

82nd pct · of 811 peers

System size

87th pct · of 811 peers

Food & Beverage industry averages

Avg investment

$528K - $1.3M

Avg franchise fee

$38K

Avg system size

235

Franchises analyzed

811

How Chicken Salad Chick stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
Chicken Salad Chick Disclosed $50K $777K - $1.0M 5% 252
Baja FreshSimilar price Disclosed $20K $429K - $1.0M 5% 67
Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system None $15K $227K - $630K 8% 18,773
Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category Disclosed $50K $3.5M - $6.4M 5.5% 33

Compare side-by-side ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Chicken Salad Chick franchise cost?

Chicken Salad Chick requires a $50,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $777,000–$1,033,500, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns Chicken Salad Chick?

Chicken Salad Chick is franchised by Simply Southern Restaurant Group, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.

Does Chicken Salad Chick disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. Chicken Salad Chick discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,500,394. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.

What ongoing fees does Chicken Salad Chick charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 2% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many Chicken Salad Chick locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, Chicken Salad Chick has 252 total locations, with 49 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

Does Chicken Salad Chick offer franchisee training and support?

Yes. Chicken Salad Chick's most recent FDD documents approximately 14 days of initial training, typically split between classroom and on-site components. See Item 11 of the FDD for the full training and support schedule.

Does Chicken Salad Chick grant exclusive territory?

Yes. Chicken Salad Chick grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.

What are the renewal and exit terms?

Per the FDD, Chicken Salad Chick discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $5,000, a transfer fee of $10,000. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.

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