Franchising

Chicken Salad Chick spreads into 5 new states, tops 350 restaurants

Photo: CSC

October 29, 2026

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Chicken Salad Chick has passed 350 restaurants in 27 states and awarded more than 100 franchise units so far in 2026, putting the brand on pace for a record year after record growth in 2025, the company said in a company press release.

The chain opened its first restaurants this year in Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia. Pennsylvania locations open or in development include Allentown, Collegeville and South Pittsburgh, while West Virginia sites include Barboursville and South Charleston.

Much of the growth is coming from the Northeast. This year, the brand signed a 25-unit development agreement for upstate New York, the largest in company history. The deal will bring Chicken Salad Chick to Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and the Upper Hudson Valley.

The company said the growth is being driven by experienced multi-unit operators as the brand moves beyond its Southeastern roots into the Midwest, Mountain West and Northeast. It has nearly 350 more locations in its development pipeline.

"Surpassing 350 restaurants is a proud milestone, but what excites us most is who is helping us get there," Mark Verges, vice president of franchise development at Chicken Salad Chick, said in the release.