4 ms·

> With a 0.13% acceptance rate, it’s harder to become a Chick-fil-A franchisee than it is to...get a job at Google (0.23%) I think I'd rather just get a job at

> With a 0.13% acceptance rate, it’s harder to become a Chick-fil-A franchisee than it is to...get a job at Google (0.23%) I think I'd rather just get a job at Google.

flatiron 7y ago
They said $150-$250k a year for the owner so you would get paid better too.
- prostheticvamp 7y ago
  150-250k a year for a 60hr a week job as the “owner”.
  - barbecue_sauce 7y ago
    That sounds like reasonable compensation for a 60hr a week job.
  - dudus 7y ago
    Not sure if you are implying this is not such a great deal but that's what it sounded to me. Maybe from the perspective of a tech person in silicon valley that's not great. But in comparison with pretty much any other job out there this is stellar.
    - big_chungus 7y ago
      He's also forgetting that a huge number of these are in "normal" America with much lower costs of living and no state income tax. That kind of money goes much farther there.
    - kelnos 7y ago
      You can't really compare it to "any other job", since a franchise owner needs to front (or be able to raise via loans or investment) a cool million or two just to get started. $150k-$250k/year is a fairly nice ROI for even $2M (though taking on loans or investment changes the math), but the calculation gets a little murkier when you factor in additionally needing to work 60 hours/week, six days/week to keep it coming in. Put another way, if you already have access to $2M, $150k-$250k/year might not seem all that attractive when compared to what you've done prior to that.
      - tfehring 7y ago
        As described in the article, Chick-fil-A (not the franchisee) covers all costs except for the $10k franchise fee, in exchange for a much higher share of revenue than competing restaurants. I'd hope that competitors' franchisees make more than $150k-$250k/year in exchange for their $2M upfront/borrowed + 60 hours/week.
  - pbhjpbhj 7y ago
    Do they accept job-shares for the position of owner. That's a pretty sweet deal for a $75k-$125k @ 30hr/week job?
    - lonelappde 7y ago
      Of course they do. The franchise police don't take away your franchise if they catch someone helping you.
  - codegeek 7y ago
    Yes but at some point, if you have the right brains and vision, you can slowly replace yourself in the business, even if not completely. In a job no matter where, you stop working, your income goes to 0. Period.
  - manigandham 7y ago
    That's fantastic income for anyone once you get past the highly skewed Silicon Valley bubble. Most people work far more for less and would love to have their own business with this much potential earnings and low startup cost.
  - regulation_d 7y ago
    When I worked at Chick-fil-A, I knew quite a few operators that worked less than 40. This is where Chick-fil-A’s ownership model helps them. Managers who want to be operators will work for less than they can earn other places for a chance at being an operator, because CFA tends to hire internally.
tehlike 7y ago
You can potentially scale the chickfila to 2-3, though, and you can imagine you can get other franchises eventually.
- lr 7y ago
  From the article: In most cases, they aren’t permitted to “own” multiple locations. They aren’t permitted to run any other business.
  - tehlike 7y ago
    I think multiple locations is a thing, if you can prove you can operate one at very good ratings. Didnt realize exclusivity point, though.
  - pwinnski 7y ago
    "Most" is a broad term. I know in the Dallas are, a few stores are "owned" as one-of-two, and at least a few as one-of-three. In the cases I know about, someone had to "own" a successful stores for several years before they were allowed to try for a second.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
virtuous_signal 7y ago
I think either of these acceptance rates are computed by casting the widest net possible. Nevertheless I have to believe Chick-Fil-A has a very rigorous process for hiring managers, who in turn know how to hire good workers; I have never once encountered the typical surly fast food worker at any of their restaurants.
- frogpelt 7y ago
  Same. I ate at a food court that had a Chick Fil A and the Chick Fil A employee refilled everyone's drinks at our table even though they weren't all bought at Chick Fil A. That's just not normal for fast food workers.
  - HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
    I have had a similar experience as well, FWIW.
- reaperducer 7y ago
  I think either of these acceptance rates are computed by casting the widest net possible. Quote the opposite. In a Forbes (or similar business publication) last month it stated that Chick-Fil-A is very selective about who it allows to have a franchise. It gets something like 20,000 applications each year but only awards a few franchises. Apparently the biggest factor in getting a franchise is whether the owner has a demonstrated history of investment and involvement in the community.
  - virtuous_signal 7y ago
    By casting the widest net I mean they are including everything possible in the denominator: perhaps everyone who does the first stage of the process. I know way too many people from my small social circle, who got jobs at Google, to believe that only 2 in 1000 serious applicants gets in.

> With a 0.13% acceptance rate, it’s harder to become a Chick-fil-A franchisee than it is to...get a job at Google (0.23%) I think I'd rather just get a job at Google.

flatiron 7y ago

They said $150-$250k a year for the owner so you would get paid better too.

prostheticvamp 7y ago
150-250k a year for a 60hr a week job as the “owner”.
- barbecue_sauce 7y ago
  That sounds like reasonable compensation for a 60hr a week job.
- dudus 7y ago
  Not sure if you are implying this is not such a great deal but that's what it sounded to me. Maybe from the perspective of a tech person in silicon valley that's not great. But in comparison with pretty much any other job out there this is stellar.
  - big_chungus 7y ago
    He's also forgetting that a huge number of these are in "normal" America with much lower costs of living and no state income tax. That kind of money goes much farther there.
  - kelnos 7y ago
    You can't really compare it to "any other job", since a franchise owner needs to front (or be able to raise via loans or investment) a cool million or two just to get started. $150k-$250k/year is a fairly nice ROI for even $2M (though taking on loans or investment changes the math), but the calculation gets a little murkier when you factor in additionally needing to work 60 hours/week, six days/week to keep it coming in. Put another way, if you already have access to $2M, $150k-$250k/year might not seem all that attractive when compared to what you've done prior to that.
    - tfehring 7y ago
      As described in the article, Chick-fil-A (not the franchisee) covers all costs except for the $10k franchise fee, in exchange for a much higher share of revenue than competing restaurants. I'd hope that competitors' franchisees make more than $150k-$250k/year in exchange for their $2M upfront/borrowed + 60 hours/week.
- pbhjpbhj 7y ago
  Do they accept job-shares for the position of owner. That's a pretty sweet deal for a $75k-$125k @ 30hr/week job?
  - lonelappde 7y ago
    Of course they do. The franchise police don't take away your franchise if they catch someone helping you.
- codegeek 7y ago
  Yes but at some point, if you have the right brains and vision, you can slowly replace yourself in the business, even if not completely. In a job no matter where, you stop working, your income goes to 0. Period.
- manigandham 7y ago
  That's fantastic income for anyone once you get past the highly skewed Silicon Valley bubble. Most people work far more for less and would love to have their own business with this much potential earnings and low startup cost.
- regulation_d 7y ago
  When I worked at Chick-fil-A, I knew quite a few operators that worked less than 40. This is where Chick-fil-A’s ownership model helps them. Managers who want to be operators will work for less than they can earn other places for a chance at being an operator, because CFA tends to hire internally.

tehlike 7y ago

You can potentially scale the chickfila to 2-3, though, and you can imagine you can get other franchises eventually.

lr 7y ago
From the article: In most cases, they aren’t permitted to “own” multiple locations. They aren’t permitted to run any other business.
- tehlike 7y ago
  I think multiple locations is a thing, if you can prove you can operate one at very good ratings. Didnt realize exclusivity point, though.
- pwinnski 7y ago
  "Most" is a broad term. I know in the Dallas are, a few stores are "owned" as one-of-two, and at least a few as one-of-three. In the cases I know about, someone had to "own" a successful stores for several years before they were allowed to try for a second.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

virtuous_signal 7y ago

I think either of these acceptance rates are computed by casting the widest net possible. Nevertheless I have to believe Chick-Fil-A has a very rigorous process for hiring managers, who in turn know how to hire good workers; I have never once encountered the typical surly fast food worker at any of their restaurants.

frogpelt 7y ago
Same. I ate at a food court that had a Chick Fil A and the Chick Fil A employee refilled everyone's drinks at our table even though they weren't all bought at Chick Fil A. That's just not normal for fast food workers.
- HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
  I have had a similar experience as well, FWIW.
reaperducer 7y ago
I think either of these acceptance rates are computed by casting the widest net possible. Quote the opposite. In a Forbes (or similar business publication) last month it stated that Chick-Fil-A is very selective about who it allows to have a franchise. It gets something like 20,000 applications each year but only awards a few franchises. Apparently the biggest factor in getting a franchise is whether the owner has a demonstrated history of investment and involvement in the community.
- virtuous_signal 7y ago
  By casting the widest net I mean they are including everything possible in the denominator: perhaps everyone who does the first stage of the process. I know way too many people from my small social circle, who got jobs at Google, to believe that only 2 in 1000 serious applicants gets in.