JANESVILLE — For those in town who think Janesville already has enough fast-food chicken restaurants, hold on to your dipping sauce.
Church’s Texas Chicken is moving in to the former Kentucky Fried Chicken location on Milton Avenue.
The old signs have come down and the new Church’s signs have gone up.
Staff working inside say it will be a couple more weeks before the restaurant is open for business.
A corporate online ordering site for delivery should be active sometime later this summer.
Founded in San Antonio in 1952 by George W. Church Sr., it began as Church’s Fried Chicken To-Go. The chain is known for its fried chicken, honey-butter biscuits, and jalapenos and operates in Janesville through a local franchisee.
Last year, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and Layne’s Chicken fingers opened up within view of each other at the busy intersection of Milton Avenue and Humes Road. They’re just down the road from Chick-fil-A.
That’s in addition to Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen and Buffalo Wild Wings along Milton Avenue as well.
Once dominated by burger chains, the fast-food landscape is seeing a seismic shift as chicken-focused brands like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, Raising Cane’s, Layne’s and Church’s continue to soar in popularity.
In 2024 alone, chicken restaurants saw a nearly 12% increase in sales, according to data from Technomic. Meanwhile, burger chains grew at just 3%.
With Gen Z and millennial diners prioritizing taste and convenience, chicken concepts have found the perfect recipe for success.