A 25-unit franchise agreement is bringing Chicken Salad Chick to New York State for the first time, with the fast casual chain's inaugural Empire State location set to open September 22 in Clifton Park—marking the brand's fifth new state entry in 2026 and expanding its footprint to 27 states and more than 345 restaurants.
The Clifton Park restaurant, located at 5 Southside Drive in The Shops at Village Plaza, will offer dine-in, takeout, third-party delivery, and catering from the first day of service. Hours run Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Franchise Deal
The 25-unit agreement represents Chicken Salad Chick's largest franchise development deal to date. The franchisee is a multi-unit operator already running several national restaurant brands across the Upstate New York market—a profile the brand specifically sought for a state it considers a high-priority growth target. Planned markets beyond Clifton Park include Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and the Upper Hudson Valley.
"Entering New York is a major milestone for Chicken Salad Chick," said Scott Deviney, CEO and President. "This opening expands our footprint to 27 states and marks our fifth new state entry this year, following openings in Utah, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. We've partnered with a franchise group that's exceptionally seasoned in national restaurant operations, and their long-term commitment to this market makes them ideal partners."
Grand Opening Incentives
To drive traffic and trial during launch week, the Clifton Park location is running a structured five-day promotional calendar. On opening day, the first guest in line at 10 a.m. wins one free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for a full year; the next 99 guests receive one free large Quick Chick per month for a year. Subsequent days offer branded merchandise—including a 40 oz tumbler, a large Chick Cooler, and a navy tote bag—to the first 50 qualifying purchasers each day.
For operators tracking fast casual expansion strategies, the promotional model reflects a broader industry pattern of launch-week layered incentives designed to build app downloads and loyalty enrollment simultaneously. Participants must download the Chicken Salad Chick app and make a qualifying purchase to lock in their prize, tying the grand opening activation directly to the brand's digital CRM infrastructure.
Community and Brand Context
Chicken Salad Chick positions itself as the only fast casual concept built entirely around chicken salad, offering more than a dozen made-from-scratch flavors alongside soups, sandwiches, sides, and desserts. The brand also operates the CSC Foundation, which supports CURE Childhood Cancer and local food banks. Pre-opening Friends & Family events in Clifton Park will raise funds for CAPTAIN Community Human Services, a Saratoga County nonprofit.
The New York entry continues a rapid franchise-driven growth trajectory that industry observers have noted in emerging fast casual concepts seeking to penetrate densely populated Northeast markets previously dominated by legacy sandwich and deli chains. With 25 units committed across a geographically distributed Upstate footprint, the deal signals a deliberate, market-by-market saturation approach rather than opportunistic single-unit growth.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
