Cost to Start a Church's Chicken Franchise in 2026

Per the current FDD, total estimated initial investment for a Church's Chicken franchise runs $525,000–$1,400,000. The wide range reflects the variability between conversion opportunities (taking over an existing restaurant space) and new construction builds, as well as variation by market:

• Franchise fee: $15,000–$25,000
• Real estate and leasehold improvements / construction: $250,000–$800,000
• Kitchen equipment (fryers, holding equipment, refrigeration): $120,000–$280,000
• Drive-through and exterior signage: $30,000–$80,000
• Technology (POS, kitchen display, drive-through speaker): $25,000–$60,000
• Furniture, fixtures, and interior: $50,000–$100,000
• Opening inventory: $10,000–$25,000
• Training and travel: $15,000–$35,000
• Working capital: $30,000–$75,000
• Miscellaneous pre-opening: $20,000–$50,000

Church's Chicken requires prospective franchisees to demonstrate net worth of $750,000 or more and liquid capital of $300,000 or more. Restaurant operations experience is preferred but the brand will evaluate qualified first-time franchise operators. Church's has historically been accessible to franchisees in underserved markets and evaluates candidates on community commitment, operational capability, and financial stability.

Church's Chicken is on the SBA Franchise Directory, enabling expedited eligibility review for SBA-approved lenders. At $525K–$1.4M, the wide investment range — driven by conversion vs. new build — creates significant variation in deal structure. Key factors lenders evaluate:

• Debt service coverage ratio (DSCR): SBA guidelines require 1.15× minimum. Lenders typically require 1.25×+ on Church's Chicken builds. The value-positioned model (lower average check, higher volume) means pro formas should document realistic customer count assumptions and average ticket size based on FDD Item 19 data — not premium chicken chain benchmarks.
• Equity injection: SBA minimum is 10% of total project cost. Lenders typically require 20–25% — on a $963K midpoint, $193K–$241K in documented borrower equity. Conversion builds (existing restaurant space) may support lower equity requirements than new ground-up construction due to reduced construction risk.
• Net worth and liquid capital: Church's thresholds ($750K+ net worth, $300K+ liquid) are accessible relative to other QSR brands at this investment range. Lenders verify both on a current personal financial statement.
• Urban/suburban market positioning: Church's has historically concentrated in urban and suburban value-demand markets. Lenders will assess the site-level trade area — population density, proximity to value-positioned competitors, access from major roads — when evaluating the unit's revenue potential.
• Conversion vs. new build: Converting an existing QSR space significantly reduces construction risk and cost. Lenders underwrite conversion deals at lower risk than ground-up builds — shorter build timelines, lower construction costs, and existing customer traffic data improve the underwriting profile.