You're reading: US chain Church’s Chicken to join Ukraine’s flock

Feathers continue to fly in Ukraine’s quick-service chicken sector. Texas Chicken, the international brand of Atlanta-based Church’s Chicken, will open two outlets in Kyiv starting in March, real estate company DTZ Ukraine announced on Feb. 21. 

DTZ’s Retail Real Estate Department head Natalia
Mykolaychuk told the Kyiv Post that it had secured locations for Texas Chicken
in shopping malls Ocean Plaza in the south and Dream Town in the north of the
capital. 

Mykolaychuk, however, would not say who is the local
franchisee, and the Kyiv Post didn’t receive responses to e-mailed inquiries
from Church’s Chicken.

“Texas Chicken in Ukraine will be represented via
franchise by (a) local company, which already has in operation chains of
pizzerias and cafes,” said Mykolaychuk. “The company-franchisee plans further
development of the chain within Kyiv and Ukraine after launching the above
mentioned locations.”

However, general requirements to open a Church’s unit, according to Church’s website, include having $650,000 in liquid assets, and $1.5 million in networth. The estimated initial investment into a restaurant can cost more than $1 million, excluding real estate costs.

The move comes on the heels of U.S.-based KFC’s entry
in December when it opened a restaurant in Ocean Plaza. Both KFC and Texas
Chicken have local competitors in Kryla
(wings) and McFoxy.

Texas Chicken is already present in the former Soviet
countries of Georgia and Russia. Church’s Chicken lists Ukraine
as one of its newest market
s on its website.

Other quick-service market players in Ukraine are
McDonalds, Domino’s Pizza, and Hesburger, Finland’s largest fast food chain.

According to Church’s website, as of 2012 there are
more than 450 international Church’s Chicken and Texas locations in 22
countries. Generally, the chain is known as Church’s Chicken in the Americas and Texas
Chicken in the remainder of the world.

Church’s is America’s 26th ranked fast food
brand, and the chicken sector’s 4th, according to industry research
firm QSR, with $827 million in sales in the U.S. in 2010.

Kyiv Post staff
writer Christopher J. Miller and editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at
[email protected], and [email protected], respectively.