Church’s Texas Chicken eyes UK as launchpad for European growth

The brand expects a third of its target sales to come from this market.

Church’s Texas Chicken is setting its sights on the UK as a launchpad for European expansion, aiming to grow its international footprint to 50% and boost system sales to $2b by 2028.

In this exclusive interview, Eric Hanson, Vice President of International Development at C, explains why the UK’s competitive quick-service restaurant landscape and strong franchising environment make it an ideal springboard.

Why is the UK a strategic priority for Church’s Texas Chicken and Texas Chicken in this next phase of your European expansion?

Hanson: The UK has always been a great stepping stone for US brands into Europe. It is probably the most competitive market in Europe and incredibly active in the franchising sector. It also represents one of the larger footprint opportunities across Europe.

Can you share any concrete development plans for the UK, such as timelines, the number of stores, or potential franchise partners?

We are currently in discussions with several regional groups for a 2026 launch. We would like to have multiple developers in such a large market.

What investments, such as in-store tech or supply chain, have you made to support this expansion?

We have people on the ground who are currently setting up the supply chain in Europe and the UK. Our tech is based on Global platforms, is already available in the UK, and we are adding people in Europe as we expand.

With many QSR brands already competing in the UK, how do you plan to differentiate Texas Chicken in this mature and competitive landscape?

Texas Chicken has always been a value player with outstanding quality, and we believe that there is plenty of room in the UK market for quality at a great price point.

Could you introduce your menu? What can UK consumers expect from either service or food?

When we enter a new market, we spend a lot of time working with consumers to tailor our product to that market rather than impose our menu on those consumers. We conduct significant market and consumer research on the ground in-country before setting our final menu.

What challenges do you expect? Any strategies you're implementing to navigate these?

As you point out, the UK is a very competitive market, and so we know that entry will not be easy.

Your goal is to increase system sales to $2b by 2028. What portion of that growth do you expect to come from the UK and Europe?

We would expect EMEA to contribute around a third of our system sales by 2028.

Aside from Europe, are there other markets you think would be important in the next five years?

We see opportunities for growth in South and Central America and the Far East as priorities for our continued growth.