# Chicken Salad Chick Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

> Funding for existing Chicken Salad Chick owners: walk-in coolers, prep equipment, daily scratch-made labor and drive-thru adds, read from unit deposits.

Source: https://mfebusinessloans.com/franchise-funding/brands/chicken-salad-chick/ (Merchant Fund Express, updated 2026-10-21)

## The short answer

Already operating a Chicken Salad Chick and looking for capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. Chicken salad is made fresh daily, so we read refrigeration, prep labor and weekly food drafts, and size payments after royalty and advertising. Send a complete file for a same-day decision; funding often arrives the next business day.

## Who is this page for?

Franchisees with an open Chicken Salad Chick, with or without a drive-thru, and area developers running several units. The brand describes itself as a fast-casual, made-from-scratch chicken salad concept with more than a dozen flavors made daily, along with sandwiches, sides, soups and hand-frosted cakes. That model leans on cold storage, prep tables and a lunch crowd buying quarts and trays.
See the chicken and wings franchise funding guide for the sector, and our restaurant industry page for how food businesses are reviewed in general.

## What the franchisor publishes

Chicken Salad Chick: facts from official sources
Parent company: Brentwood Associates (acquired the company in 2019, per the brand) (source)
Initial franchise fee: $50,000, plus a $10,000 grand opening fee (source)
Royalty: 5% of gross sales, paid twice a month (source)
Advertising fund: 2% of gross sales national advertising, plus 1% local marketing (source)
Total initial investment: $777,000 to $1,033,500 including fees ($777,000 to $998,500 without drive-thru; $802,000 to $1,033,500 with drive-thru) (source)
Liquid assets / net worth asked of new franchisees: $250,000 / $750,000 (source)
Locations: Over 350 restaurants in 27 states (as stated by the brand, undated) (source)
Published formats: Restaurants with or without a drive-thru (source)
US franchising status: Actively franchising in the US, targeting new markets nationwide (source)
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.

## Every way to fund your Chicken Salad Chick location

Already running a Chicken Salad Chick location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
Franchise business loan: a term loan fits adding a drive-thru lane or refreshing the dining room on a fixed payment.
Merchant cash advance: remittance follows card sales, so it moves with lunch traffic and catering order volume.
Revenue-based financing: sized from steady weekday lunch deposits, which suits a daytime-heavy concept.
Business line of credit: covers chicken, produce and cake supplies when catering season pushes order sizes up.
Equipment financing: walk-in coolers, reach-ins, mixers, prep tables and display cases on a vendor quote.
Working capital: covers prep crew hours and a cooler repair in the same month without draining the operating account.

## Which problems do Chicken Salad Chick owners bring to a funding review?

Refrigeration is the whole kitchen
A scratch-made cold menu depends on walk-ins and reach-ins holding temperature. A compressor failure is urgent and the bill arrives at once; see emergency commercial refrigeration funding.
Daily prep labor before the lunch rush
Every flavor is made fresh daily, so prep hours come before the first ticket. A line of credit covers payroll while card batches settle.
Catering and holiday tray orders
Large party orders mean bigger protein and bakery purchases ahead of pickup. Short working capital matches that cycle; our restaurant inventory funding page explains the math.

## Which product fits which Chicken Salad Chick need?

Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
Walk-in or reach-in replacement | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Quote, 3 months of statements |
Compressor repair this week | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Repair invoice, statements |
Catering season supplies | Line of credit | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, about $25K/month revenue | Statements, supplier invoices |
Drive-thru addition or remodel | Business loan | Tier 1, NSFs max 6 a month | Contractor bid, statements |
Area developer opening the next unit | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: minimum daily balance $800, up to 2 current advances | Statements per entity |

## How does the review read a Chicken Salad Chick restaurant?

Entity. The LLC holding each franchise agreement and its operating account. Area developers often keep each unit separate; see separate LLCs.
Deposit pattern. Weekday lunch is the core, with catering and quart orders adding larger tickets. We read the steadiness of daily card batches.
Royalty and advertising drafts. Percentage-of-sales debits, sized around like rent.
Protein, produce and bakery drafts. Read as cost of goods on a weekly cycle, not as debt.
Existing positions. Current advances and leases are counted; a new structure can sometimes lower the combined payment.

## What does a Chicken Salad Chick owner need to send?

About 3 months of business bank statements as PDFs for each restaurant entity
The five-minute application, which opens with a soft credit pull
A vendor quote for refrigeration, prep or display equipment
Current advances and lease payments in a short list
Full financials only for requests above $250,000
Sole proprietors are eligible, and Merchant Fund Express accepts ITIN applicants.

## A hypothetical Chicken Salad Chick budget scenario

Suppose a unit with a drive-thru deposits $78,000 a month. Royalty and advertising drafts are $6,200, food and bakery suppliers $24,000, payroll $21,000, rent $7,400 and an existing advance $3,200. The owner needs a new walk-in cooler and two reach-ins quoted at $38,000.
Monthly deposits$78,000
Less royalty/ad, food, payroll, rent, advance$78,000 - $6,200 - $24,000 - $21,000 - $7,400 - $3,200 = $16,200
$38,000 over 36 monthsabout $1,056/month before cost of funds
Share of what remains$1,056 / $16,200 = about 6.5%
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

## What if you are buying or opening a Chicken Salad Chick instead?

A unit that is not yet open needs an operating history first; Merchant Fund Express funds running businesses with deposits to read. Buying a franchise walks through that path. An owner or area developer adding a unit is read on the current restaurants' deposits; our second location page covers it. Taking over an open restaurant follows franchise transfer financing.

## Keep reading

Chicken and wings franchise funding: how chicken concepts are reviewed
Franchise brands we cover: the full brand list
Franchise refrigeration funding: walk-ins, reach-ins and repairs
Multi-unit franchise funding: for area developers with several units
Franchise line of credit: repeat draws for supplies and payroll

## Common questions

### Can I finance walk-in coolers and prep equipment for my Chicken Salad Chick?

Yes. Refrigeration and prep equipment are reviewed against a vendor quote and useful life.

### Does a lunch-heavy, daytime deposit pattern matter?

No. We read steadiness: many deposits a month and a stable balance.

### Can an area developer fund several Chicken Salad Chick units?

Yes. Each entity is read on its own deposits and drafts, and one request can cover several restaurants.

### Is catering revenue counted?

Yes, when it lands in the business account as card or ACH deposits.

### Are you affiliated with Chicken Salad Chick?

No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Chicken Salad Chick name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.

Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Chicken Salad Chick or its franchisor.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=mfebusinessloans.com&utm_medium=franchise&utm_campaign=franchise-funding&utm_content=chicken-salad-chick