US chicken restaurant brand Slim Chickens has opened its first UK drive-through at Broughton Shopping Park in Flintshire, North Wales, as its UK master franchise partner, Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), prepares for a major expansion of the format.
The October 6 opening marks Slim Chickens’ first move into the UK drive-through market, with Broughton serving as a blueprint for future locations. Boparan plans to open 15 to 20 new Slim Chickens restaurants across the UK over the next year, with the majority expected to be drive-through sites.
The expansion is expected to create 800 to 1,000 jobs, with each new restaurant potentially employing up to 50 people. Future drive-throughs are expected to focus on retail parks and other high-access locations, complementing Slim Chickens’ existing high-street and shopping-centre estate.
The Broughton restaurant occupies a former Tim Hortons drive-through site and will offer the full Slim Chickens menu, including hand-breaded buttermilk-marinated chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads, hand-spun shakes, Texas Toast and the brand’s 15 signature house sauces.
Tom Patrick, Marketing Director at Boparan Restaurants, said the opening represents a major milestone for the brand, with the company using its new app and AI technology to make the drive-through customer journey as seamless as the in-store experience.
Rich Pigott, Managing Director of Boparan Restaurants, said the company has “ambitious plans” for the drive-through format, adding that Broughton is “only the beginning” of Slim Chickens’ drive-through rollout in the UK.
Founded in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2003 by Tom Gordon and Greg Smart, Slim Chickens began franchising in 2013. Boparan brought the brand to the UK in 2018, opening its first UK restaurant in London.
The UK business now has more than 80 Slim Chickens restaurants, following eight openings during 2026. Earlier this year, Boparan also partnered with The Restaurant Group Concessions to open Slim Chickens’ first UK airport location, extending the brand into another non-traditional channel.
The drive-through expansion comes as Slim Chickens continues to broaden its international franchise network. The brand operates across the US and international markets including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Turkey and the Philippines, while its franchise operation continues to pursue multi-unit development. Drive-throughs are already an important part of the brand’s US business, making the Broughton opening a significant step in adapting that model for its UK franchise network.
The move also places Slim Chickens among a growing group of QSR brands investing in UK drive-through locations, including Chick-fil-A and Pret A Manger, which opened their first UK drive-through sites earlier this year.
With 15 to 20 new restaurants planned, Boparan’s strategy signals that drive-throughs are set to become a central part of Slim Chickens’ next phase of UK franchise growth.
