12 Best Chicken Franchises to Own in 2024

Are you looking for a list of the best chicken franchises to own from this year?

At Jack in the Box, we understand it can be hard to pick just one because there are so many options to choose from.

In this article, we will highlight twelve of the best chicken franchises to own in no particular order.

Jack in the Box

We simply had to put ourselves on this list because of our innovative menu, flexible restaurant designs, and franchise opportunities in prime U.S. markets.

Jack in the Box offers a large and distinctive 24/7 menu with five dayparts to our customers. This means you can get anything on our menu at any time – day or night.

Although we might be known as a burger franchise to most, we also offer a wide variety of chicken options across the menu like:

• Crispy Chicken Wings
• Cluck Sandwich
• Jack’s Spicy Chicken
• Homestyle Ranch Chicken Club
• Crispy Chicken Strips
• Chicken Nuggets
• Jack’s Teriyaki Bowl with Chicken
• Chicken Fajita Pita
• Chicken Sandwich
• Chicken Club Salad
• Southwest Chicken Salad
• Grilled Chicken Salad
• Chick-N-Tater Melt

When you look at our map of available markets, you’ll see most of the territories east of the Mississippi River are open for new franchise growth.

Being able to develop multiple franchises in markets with this much potential is rare in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. It would be hard to do with other top brands.

We’re actively looking for new franchisees to grow our footprint and bring our craveable menu to markets across the United States of America.

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A was founded by Truett Cathy in Hapeville, GA. Today, it is one of the most successful fast-food restaurants in America.

There are more than 2,800 Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the U.S. and the state with the most is Texas with 456 locations.

They are currently seeking hands-on franchise candidates in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada to own and operate their quick-service restaurant.

Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s has seen a large amount of growth due to the success of their chicken fingers, chicken wings, chicken sandwiches, and chicken salads.

They have more than 900 locations in 18 different states with the majority of them located in the Southeastern United States.

Their headquarters is located in Athens, GA and they are currently looking for franchisees to expand their chicken restaurant into new territories.

KFC

KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, was founded by Harlan “Colonel” Sanders in 1930. They began franchising a few years later in 1952.

Since then, they’ve grown their chicken franchise to more than 25,000 locations across the world with most of their growth coming from outside the USA.

Close to 99% of their chicken restaurants are franchised and they bring in roughly $4.6 billion in U.S. sales each year.

Popeye’s

Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is a fried chicken fast-food restaurant that was founded in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

As of 2020, they have increased their number of chicken restaurants to nearly 3,500 in 46 states and 30 countries worldwide.

Only 30 of their locations are company-owned. The vast majority of their restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees.

Wingstop

Wingstop specializes in chicken wings and tenders along with 11 different sauces like lemon pepper, hickory smoked BBQ, original hot, mango habanero, and atomic.

Their menu includes a variety of classic wings, boneless wings, and fries along with your choice of dipping sauces.

They currently have over 1,600 locations around the world with the majority of them in Texas, California, and Florida.

Bojangle’s

Bojangle’s is famous for bringing Cajun-style items like fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, jambalaya, and more to the masses.

Their chicken and biscuit franchise has grown to more than 770 express and traditional freestanding locations across 14 states.

They are looking for individuals with extensive experience in restaurant and/or franchise operation to grow their footprint in the United States.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is a full-service restaurant and sports bar with a wide variety of chicken wings, appetizers, burgers, tacos, and salads to choose from.

This is a great place to watch a big game because each location has no fewer than 50 large-screen televisions for customers to enjoy.

Today, they are one of the largest sports bar brands in the U.S. with more than 1,200 locations operating in 10 countries.

El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco is unique to this list because it doesn’t offer any fried chicken items on their menu.

They serve marinated flame-grilled chicken in burritos, salads, tacos, soups, and quesadillas with a variety of homemade salsas and dressings.

Their name is translated to be “The Crazy Chicken” in English, and they have more than 480 restaurants across 6 states.

Chicken Salad Chick

Chicken Salad Chick was founded by Stacy Brown in Auburn, AL in 2008. It started as a small takeout restaurant and has grown throughout the Southeast United States.

They serve southern-inspired, fast-casual chicken salad with dine-in, takeout, and catering options to meet customer’s needs.

They have grown to more than 200 restaurants across 17 states with approximately 80% of their locations owned by franchisees.

Chester’s

Chester’s is a quick-service restaurant with 1,200 franchised locations and has been in business for more than 70 years.

They have found success operating non-traditional franchise locations in convenience stores, truck stops, and supermarkets.

Their family recipe features specially marinated chicken that has been double-breaded along with a variety of sides like mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and green beans.

Raising Cane’s

Raising Cane’s is a chicken restaurant that has become popular due to their chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, and Cane’s sauce.

They have rapidly expanded with company-affiliated restaurants and franchise business partners in a very specific geography.

Currently, they are not entertaining franchise development opportunities.

Check Out These Additional Resources

We hope this list of the best chicken franchises to own helped you narrow down your search.

At Jack in the Box, we’re looking for multi-unit franchisees who are excited to bring our craveable 24/7 menu to new markets across the country.

Here are some additional online resources you may like to check out:

• How Much Does a Jack in the Box Franchise Cost?
• 5 Benefits of Multi-Unit Franchising with Jack in the Box
• What’s a Franchise Disclosure Document?

If you have any questions, please contact our franchise sales and support team.