Mary Brown’s Chicken

About Mary Brown’s Chicken

Claiming to be the largest Canadian quick-service restaurant and fastest-growing Canadian chicken brand, with circa 215 locations across Canada, Mary Brown’s specialises in fried chicken and fried plant-based chicken substitute dishes. It was founded in 1969, when Pat Tarrant and Cyril Fleming purchased rights to open up the first Canadian Golden Skillet fried chicken franchise in Newfoundland, which they were forced to rename due to legal reasons. They decided to name it after Mary Brown Guthrie, the wife of Golden Skillet owner and founder Clifton W. Guthrie. A handful of Mary Brown’s stores are corporate owned, but the vast majority are franchised.

In July 2023, it was revealed that Mary Brown’s is targeting a launch in the UK and Ireland this year. According to property firm CBRE, the brand is actively seeking opportunities across Northern Ireland and has agreed leases at several locations. In February 2024, the business finally made its UK debut with an opening in Lisburn Leisure Park. Hadi Chahin, chief executive of Mary Brown's Chicken, said: “We have been a beloved tradition in Canada for generations, and we can’t wait to share our passion for delicious, locally sourced and made-from-scratch quality food with our new friends in the UK.”

The following month, Dylan Powell, vice-president of international development, told Propel Mary Brown’s Chicken, known as MB Chicken internationally, it is aiming to have its first UK mainland site open by the summer, with plans to have a ten-strong estate by the end of 2024. In the long term, the business also sees “no reason why it can’t be bigger here than in Canada,” where it currently has approximately 250 restaurants, with the potential to reach more than 500 locations.

“We have secured a location in Southampton and have offers on sites in Stratford, Central London, Dublin and Leicester,” he said. “Our goal is to grow in clusters with experienced food and beverage operators and we’re hoping to have our first franchise store on the UK mainland - ideally in London - open by the summer. We’re also planning to have ten stores open across the UK in 2024, anchored by four in Northern Ireland.

“In Canada, we think we can hit 500 stores, and there’s no reason, looking at populations and demographics, why we can’t go that big or even bigger here in the long term - growing as quickly as we can but in a sustainable way and with the right partners.”

The second UK site for Mary’s Brown’s Chicken opened in Belfast’s SSE Arena in July 2024, and in November 2024, the brand made its debut in England with a launch in Hounslow, west London. A further store in Preston followed in the spring of 2025.

In March 2025, Powell said of the brand’s UK launch: “So far, it’s been a very positive response. We’re working with two fabulous partners. We have partners we know will curate our brand and deliver our brand promise to those markets. The most important thing when you go into a new market is how do you translate the success you’ve had in your home market into a new market, and the first step in that is picking the right partners. We’re confident we have the right product, and we know the UK market is going to be a very, very positive one for us. It’s a very good product market match, so the last component of that is the partners, and we have wonderful partners who really take to heart our brand promise.”

By the summer of 2026, both stores in England had closed, and MB Chicken said it is seeking a master franchisee for England and Wales and is set to launch in Scotland. The brand, which is scheduled to open in Glasgow later this year, said it is seeking “sophisticated multi-unit and multi-brand operators with the financial strength, infrastructure and operational expertise required to develop a significant network of restaurants”.

Powell said: “With consumer demand for premium chicken concepts continuing to strengthen across the UK, the timing is right for an experienced master franchise partner to establish Mary Brown’s as a major player across England and Wales. We are actively seeking discussions with well-capitalised operators who have the experience, vision and operational capability to lead the next phase of Mary Brown's UK expansion and unlock the considerable potential that exists within the market.”

In June 2026, the company said it is lining up a debut store in Scotland, in Glasgow.

Why franchise with Mary Brown’s Chicken

• ✓Mary Brown’s is currently looking to recruit experienced UK partners to continue its growth by expanding into the British market. It is already expanding overseas, with 2022 pipeline openings in countries including Ireland, Egypt, Pakistan and Jamaica. It is looking for area developers and multi-unit franchisees, with sufficient capital to rapidly develop exclusive territories.
• ✓Franchisees must have previous franchise experience and a proven track record in the industry; strong knowledge of market trends, real estate, distribution and labour; and the resources to send managers and key employees to attend training in Newfoundland, Canada.
• ✓Initial start-up costs are £195,000, with full investment ranging from £350,000 to £550,000. There is a £20,000 franchise fee, plus a 6% royalty fee and a 3% advertising fee. Available models are flagship stories (2,200-3,200 square feet), which are built in high visibility premium locations and often the first in a new market; full stores (1,700-3,200 square feet), which are standalone stores offering drive-thru options; and express stores (800-1,200 square feet), which offer a limited menu and can be placed in locations like airports, sports stadiums and educational facilities.
• ✓A complete and comprehensive training programme includes three weeks placed in a live location, plus comprehensive pre- and post-opening on-the-ground support and an 24/7 online training portal for franchisees and staff. Mary Brown’s has won the Canadian Franchise Association’s Franchisees’ Choice Award 12 years in a row.
• ✓The company said: “From the beginning, Mary Brown’s Chicken possessed two distinct strengths: an incredibly delicious recipe for fried chicken and genuine hospitality of Canadians. Over 50 years later, these pillars remain the foundation of Mary Brown’s success and have propelled the brand to record-breaking expansion in recent years. Mary Brown’s has tripled its store locations since 2007 and the trend continues year over year.
• ✓With 17 consecutive years of same store sales growth, our franchise partners benefit from a brand that is proven in Canada and geared for global success.”