Are you in London and looking for a chicken sandwich, particularly a Chick-fil-A sandwich?
You may wonder if there is a Chick-fil-A in London or the UK and, if not, what alternatives exist. Fortunately, this article will answer all your questions.
Contents
What Is Chick-fil-A?
Founded in 1946, Chick-fil-A is a restaurant chain with over 2,000 locations in the USA and Canada.
Their menu predominately revolves around chicken, with their chicken burgers and nuggets being the focal point of the Chick-fil-A menu.
They also offer numerous other items, such as chocolate, strawberry, and oreo milkshakes.
Chick-fil-A also has salads and their famous waffle-shaped chips and breakfast options.
Chick-fil-A believes in providing food of the highest quality, as described by its founder, S. T Cathy, “Food is essential to life, therefore, make it good.”
Their chicken menu items are made from quality breast fillets, not processed meat. The meat is also artificial preservative, hormone and steroid free.
Is There a Chick-fil-A in London or the UK?
Unfortunately, there is no Chick-fil-A in the UK, only in the US and Canada.
The restaurant chain did try to experiment with a restaurant at Reading in October 2019 as part of a significant European expansion move.
Sadly, after just eight days open, the building owners decided not to extend the lease agreement beyond six months.
This was due to their controversial stance on anti-LGBTQ that caused negative publicity for The Oracle shopping centre.
Before opening a restaurant in Reading, they had regular pop-up shops across the UK. However, this is unlikely to continue due to the restaurant launch failure.
Chick-fil-A Alternatives in the UK
Although there are no Chick-fil-A’s in the UK, there are some excellent alternatives.
Chicken Shop
Known for its substantial portion sizes at reasonable prices, this restaurant is a budget-friendly winner. Chicken Shop’s “Straight Up” meal best reflects Chick-fil-A’s menu.
It is a delicious burger with a chicken fillet, lettuce, buttermilk, herb mayo, pickles and optional cheese.
Address: 187 Wardour Street, London W1F 8ZB, United Kingdom
Contact: +44 20 7935 6648
Nando‘s
Nando’s is world renowned, having over 1200 locations in 30 countries across the globe, including South Africa, US and Australia.
Their most popular menu item is the peri peri chicken, a delicious yet spicy chicken option.
Address: 202 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 0XH, United Kingdom
Contact: +44 20 7261 1927
Bird
Bird is known for its gluten-free products, it has a gluten-free fried chicken and a gluten-free beer.
Their product most similar to Chick-fil-A is “The Classic Bird,” a coated chicken thigh, iceberg, pickles, slice of cheese, and Heinz mayonnaise.
Address: 21-22 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AG, United Kingdom
Contact: +44 20 3195 4245
Slim Chickens
With the slogan “life changing chicken”, this restaurant franchise knows how to make chicken.
Their most popular menu item is their tenders and wings, although their juicy chicken burgers compete with Chick-fil-A’s chicken burger range in taste and quality.
Address: 35 James St, London W1U 1EA, United Kingdom
Contact: +44 20 7486 1511
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Chick-fil-A open a restaurant again after the Reading failure?
After failing to extend its lease after just a mere eight days from launching, it hurt the brand name considerably. It is thus implausible for Chick-fil-A to open another restaurant in the UK anytime soon.
Final Thoughts
Although having obtained astonishing accomplishments in the US, this restaurant did not find success in the UK.
Having ties with anti-LGBTQ parties, massive protests against the restaurant were held at their Reading restaurant, forcing them to close down after just eight days.
Leaving a lasting negative brand impression from a UK perspective.
Luckily, there are numerous alternatives to choose from in the UK which provide quality that matches the Chick-fil-A brand.
Did I forget to mention an alternative that deserves to be on the list? Write your suggestions below in the comments section.
If you want to know other businesses available in the UK, check out our guides on Is there a Bath and Body Works in the UK or London and Is There a Cheesecake Factory in the UK or London?
There are many of us who would encourage a ‘Chick-Fill-A’ restaurant here in the UK even after the past occurrences.
Hi Denise,
Agree, hope the dream will become true soon.
Edit; *fortunatly, there is no Chick-fil-A in the UK..