Tuesday Mar 31, 2026

What It’s Really Like To Operate Chick-Fil-A (2-Unit Owner)

Brandon Hurst went from - in his own words - “a broke college student” working overnight shifts, to becoming one of the top-performing Chick-fil-A operators in the country, now running multiple locations that generate tens of millions in revenue.

In this conversation, Brandon breaks down the real Chick-fil-A business model, why the $10K buy-in is misunderstood, and how profit-sharing actually works behind the scenes. He explains why Chick-fil-A operators don’t build equity like traditional franchisees, and why that tradeoff has major benefits.

We also dive into what it takes to get selected (it’s harder than getting into Harvard), the reality of running a restaurant with 80+ employees, and how Brandon built systems to scale leadership across multiple locations.

He shares how he turned cash flow into investments, built a real estate portfolio, and more.

Plus, we go deep on:

  • The biggest myths about Chick-fil-A franchising
  • How COVID accelerated his growth (including 60%+ digital sales)
  • Why culture, not systems, is the real moat
  • His “LOVE” philosophy for building teams and developing future leaders

This is a masterclass on modern franchising, leadership, and building wealth through cash flow - not just exits!

Get In Touch

Follow/Subscribe to Brandon

Grab Your FREE Guide “The 5 Seasons of Leadership”  

Follow Brandon on Instagram

Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn

Learn More About Brandon Here

 

Interested in buying a franchise? https://www.empirespod.com/buy-a-franchise 

 

Are you a multi-unit owner considering selling your business? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://empirespod.substack.com/

Comment (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to say something!

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Version: 20241125