There’s very little doubt that fried chicken is one of the UK’s most popular choices in fast food.
There’s something about the herby, crispy coating surrounding succulent flesh, and the satisfying crunch that makes fried chicken completely irresistible. In fact, THE most famous fried chicken franchise is the country’s second-most-popular choice after the Golden Arches.
We’re lucky that there’s a wide variety of fried chicken franchises throughout the UK, offering delicious, deep-fried food from the deep south of North America. And then there are others that supply the zingy piquance of the Portuguese mountains. Yum!
So, if you’re looking to offer delicious treats to satisfied customers, this crispy mouthful of heaven is sure to keep them coming back for more.
But fried chicken franchises offer more than just fried chicken. Most provide additional choices like burgers, fries, along with traditional British favourites such as pies and mushy peas.
If you’re looking for a lucrative business that thrives on making the nation happy, a fried chicken franchise could be just the ticket!
The Rise of Vegan Chicken
A big shift occurring in the fried chicken franchise industry currently is that the chicken may not necessarily be meat nowadays.
Over the past few years, there has been a significant shift in the philosophy of fried chicken franchises towards plant-based food sources. Some have even gone as far as to christen it a “plant-based chicken revolution.” And it’s not more notable with any company than it is with market leader KFC.
Back in 2019, KFC first debuted its “Beyond Fried Chicken,” which was developed in partnership with Beyond Meat and KFC’s parent company Yum! Brands. The limited launch went so well that vegan fried chicken has been on the menu, albeit in limited situations, since.
But while the options in the US are still more limited, the vegan offerings from the chain have spread a bit more in the UK. According to VegNews: “In 2019, a vegan chicken sandwich—then called “Imposter Burger”—was tested at 20 London, Midlands, and Bristol locations, where it pulled in 500 percent more sales than any other new product launch at KFC UK. The name of the sandwich has since changed to “Zero Chicken Burger,” which KFC rolled out to all 900 UK locations at the onset of 2020.”
“We’ve worked hard to perfect the flavour and make a Vegan Burger the Colonel would be proud of. It’s the flavour of KFC, just with zero chicken,” Ira Dubinsky, innovation director at KFC UK and Ireland, said in a statement. “The Colonel was all about welcoming everyone to his table—now vegans, flexitarians, and our fried chicken fans can all enjoy the taste of our Original Recipe together.”
Advantages of a Fried Chicken Franchise Over Independent Operation
As part of the ultra-competitive fast food franchising world, it can be challenging to start a fried chicken franchise. For one, you need to create a menu that hits the mark with your future customers and keeps them coming back. You also need to brand yourself in a way that you differentiate your restaurant from the competition.
Further, if you lack the experience of running a company from the ground up, you might find the prospect of a fried chicken franchise especially attractive. When you invest in a franchise, you take on the methods of a business that (1) understands its established target market, and (2) has proven itself profitable and sustainable.
Independent companies that go into business without the support of an established partner often struggle to penetrate the market. They often misunderstand what their customers want and how to fulfill that desire. It can take a long time, along with trial and error, for an independent company to get their service offering right.
On the other hand,food franchises tend to enjoy more immediate success because the parent company has done their market research. The franchisor has spent time developing their services and products to meet the standards expected by their customers.
When you invest in a fried chicken franchise, you inherit not only the immediately recognizable branding of the parent company but the tried-and-tested business model catering precisely to a client base who already know and love their products. You take on the parent company’s hard-earned reputation—and reputations are hard to build in the marketplace. Additionally, franchises often boast an existing supply chain and vendors that already know what the business needs.
Your franchise parent company usually provides an excellent training package for you and your employees to ensure that you can maintain their hard-earned reputation. In addition to training, many franchise partners offer a range of business support functions, including HR assistance and compliance with food, business and employment regulations.
However, it’s important to remember that even with the guidance and support, franchises are independently-owned businesses. Therefore, whether your personal fried chicken franchise is a success or failure is based entirely on you and your ability to run the company well.
Finding the Money: Franchising vs Independent Businesses
Investing in a franchise is often considered a safer option than creating an independent business from the ground up. This is certainly the case for lending institutions, franchises have been more likely to appeal to banks and moneylenders and draw the necessary capital to start the business since franchises have a demonstrated history of feasibility and market sustainability.
Independent companies often find it a challenge to obtain loans with sensible borrowing rates since they have no evidence that their business will reach potential. This lack of faith from lenders has the potential to jeopardise their company from the start.
Having enough money before you start is important. The first couple of years of any business can bring challenges, placing most independent businesses at imminent financial risk. Without the ability to generate enough revenue to cover initial and operating expenses, independent business owners will likely find the venture unviable. In fact, more than half of all independent start-up companies go out of business within the first two years in the UK.