To whom are Chick Fil A rental payments made?

According to Chick Fil A's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, rental payments are typically made to Chick Fil A. Specifically, if a franchisee leases the restaurant premises from Chick Fil A, all rental payments must be made directly to Chick Fil A. This arrangement is formalized in the Lease agreement, which is an exhibit attached to and part of the Franchise Agreement, and it governs the franchisee's occupancy of the restaurant premises.

However, there are exceptions depending on the specific type of unit. For delivery kitchen units, franchisees usually make payments due to the premises owner or manager under the DK Lease directly to Chick Fil A, who then remits the payment to the actual premises owner, licensor, or manager. Similarly, for captive venue units, payments due under the Concession Agreement are typically made to Chick Fil A, which then forwards the payment to the premises owner or manager. In both these scenarios, Chick Fil A remains liable to the premises owner or manager.

For food trucks, the payment structure varies. In some cases, Chick Fil A leases the food truck from a third party, and the franchisee subleases it from Chick Fil A. Under this arrangement, the franchisee pays a food truck usage fee to Chick Fil A instead of making lease rental payments directly. The franchisee also pays Chick Fil A any other payments due under the food truck lease to the third party. In other instances, the franchisee leases the food truck directly from an approved third-party supplier, paying the lease rental payment and any other applicable payments directly to the third-party supplier, while paying Chick Fil A a food truck fee under the Food Truck License Agreement.