Chick-fil-A continues its international expansion with its first location in the UK

Chick-fil-A employees prepare chicken sandwiches for guests

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Chick-fil-A has come to the U.K.

The chicken chain opened its first restaurant in the U.K. on Thursday, continuing its international expansion.

"We can confirm that we opened a pilot-licensed location in the U.K. on Oct. 10 and we are pleased to have already served nearly a thousand customers," a Chick-fil-A spokesperon told CNBC.

The Atlanta-based food chain's sandwiches have helped the company become the third largest restaurant chain in the U.S. by system-wide sales, passing Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell and Subway in one year.

The new opening is a continuation of the chicken chain's international expansion. In 2018, Chick-fil-A announced its plan to open its first international location in Toronto. The company said at the time it planned to open at least 15 restaurants in the greater Toronto area in the next five years.

The company did not provide details of further expansion plans in the U.K.

"For right now, we are focused on this location to help us understand more about consumer interest in our brand and signature menu items," the spokesperson said.

Chick-fil-A has been expanding rapidly in the U.S. as well, and is  now the third largest restaurant chian in the U.S. by system-wide sales.

At times, the company has faced criticism from customers for its history of supporting and donating money to anti-LGBTQ organizations. But its high-quality customer service, quality of food and innovative franchise structure have helped it to keep growing. 

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