Is Chick-fil-A or Starbird Chicken cheaper to open?

Chick-fil-A costs $426,735–$2,339,525 and Starbird Chicken costs $1,116,907–$1,656,763 to open (FDD Item 7). Chick-fil-A has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Chick-fil-A or Starbird Chicken?

Chick-fil-A reports $9,317,007 average annual unit revenue vs $4,175,616 for Starbird Chicken (FDD Item 19). Chick-fil-A is higher. For Chick-fil-A: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. For Starbird Chicken: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance.

Which is the better franchise, Chick-fil-A or Starbird Chicken?

FranchiseVerdict grades Chick-fil-A A and Starbird Chicken C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Chick-fil-A vs Starbird Chicken

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Chick-fil-A and Starbird Chicken are quick-service restaurants franchises. Chick-fil-A requires an investment of $427K – $2.3M while Starbird Chicken requires $1.1M – $1.7M. In terms of revenue, Chick-fil-A reports higher average unit revenue at $9.3M. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. FranchiseVerdict rates Chick-fil-A A (Strongest tier) and Starbird Chicken C (Average).

Metric	Chick-fil-A	Starbird Chicken
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	CAverage
Investment Range	$427K – $2.3M	$1.1M – $1.7M
Franchise Fee	$10K	$40K
Royalty Rate	15.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$9.3MOutlet subset	$4.2MCompany-owned only
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	2,684	7
Unit Growth (YoY)	+135 units	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1992	2022
FDD Year	2025	2023