Golub Capital backs Church's Texas Chicken as US sales top $1.6B
What's the deal? Church's Texas Chicken has secured a strategic growth equity investment from Golub CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adding fresh capital to fund its next phase of expansion. The Atlanta-based chicken quick-service chain operates more than 1,500 restaurants across the US and 25-plus international markets.
Why now? The investment builds on several years of brand transformation under High Bluff Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Future Standard, which acquired Church's in 2021. "This new capital is about adding fuel at exactly the right moment," said Ryan Pitt, principal at High Bluff.
The numbers: System sales topped $1.6 billion in 2025. Since year-end 2021 through the first quarter of 2026, the brand posted roughly 19% cumulative domestic same-store sales growth, with US traffic up more than 6%. Average franchisee restaurant sales have risen over $200K since 2021, adding more than $55K in profit per restaurant.
What's the endgame? Founded in San Antonio in 1952, Church's is leaning into value pricing — promotions like the $3.79 Texas 2 Piece Feast — while much of the industry passes inflation onto consumers. In 2025, it recorded its first year of positive net US unit growth since 2010.
The hire: The transformation has run under chief executive officer Roland Gonzalez, recruited by the ownership group after the acquisition. Under his leadership, Church's has rebuilt its domestic operations, modernised its supply chain and technology, and launched a proprietary digital app and loyalty program.
Going global: The chain continues to grow with partners across more than 25 international markets, opening nearly 200 restaurants globally between 2024 and 2026.
The signal: Golub Capital's backing lands as fast-food visits have declined for months and value-seeking consumers pull back from the category. Church's stands out by growing traffic while much of the industry loses it — a bet that disciplined operations and low prices can win in a squeezed market.
Read more: Associated Press
Image credit: shanntastic
