Straight answer, without making you scroll: Chicken Salad Chick opens at 10:00 or 10:30 AM and closes at 8:00 PM, Monday to Saturday. Most locations are closed on Sunday.
The detail underneath that matters, though, because this is a franchised chain and the exceptions are real. Here is the full picture, including the parts most sites get wrong.
Opening and closing times
| Day | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Standard trading |
| Tuesday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Kids eat free at some locations, 5–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Standard trading |
| Thursday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Standard trading |
| Friday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Busiest day of the week |
| Saturday | 10:00 / 10:30 AM | 8:00 PM | Standard trading |
| Sunday | Usually closed | — | A minority open 11:00 AM – 6:00/7:00 PM |
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Three things worth knowing
- No breakfast. Doors open at 10:00 at the earliest — there is no morning menu and never has been.
- Food service runs to closing. No fryers means no kitchen changeover, so you can order a full meal at 7:55 PM. Most fast food cannot say that.
- The 10:00 vs 10:30 difference is genuine. It is a per-franchise decision, not a typo on somebody's website.
The Sunday question, answered properly
This is where every other menu site contradicts itself, so here is the actual position.
Most Chicken Salad Chick locations close on Sunday. The tradition traces back to founder Stacy Brown, who wanted weekends with her family, and it persisted as the chain grew — the company even markets “Sundays off” to job applicants alongside “no fryers, no late nights”.
But it is not a corporate mandate, and a growing number of franchisees now open on Sundays with reduced hours, commonly 11:00 AM to 6:00 or 7:00 PM. If a site tells you flatly that every location is closed on Sundays, or flatly that they are all open until six, neither is checking. Confirm your specific restaurant.
Holiday opening and closing times
Three closures hold across the chain. The rest vary by franchise, and we are labelling our confidence rather than presenting a tidy table we cannot stand behind.
Holiday hours
| Holiday | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Easter Sunday | Closed | High |
| Thanksgiving Day | Closed | High |
| Christmas Day | Closed | High |
| Christmas Eve | Open, reduced hours | Medium |
| New Year's Eve | Open, reduced hours | Medium |
| New Year's Day | Usually open | Medium |
| Memorial Day | Usually open | Medium |
| Independence Day | Usually open | Medium |
| Labor Day | Usually open | Medium |
| Veterans Day (Nov 11) | Open — free meal for veterans | High |
| Mother's Day | Open, often reduced — very busy | Medium |
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Two of those are worth planning around. November 11 is the annual Veterans Day free meal — a full Chick Meal for veterans and active duty, in restaurant or drive-thru only. And Mother's Day is the single busiest catering day of the year, so order well ahead if you need it.
The best and worst times to go
Lunch service between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM is the peak, and Friday is the heaviest day. This is a lunch restaurant that also serves dinner, not the other way round.
When to visit
| Time | How busy | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 AM | Quiet | Everything freshly made and fully stocked. The best time to try samples. |
| 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Peak | Queues, especially Friday. Order ahead through the app. |
| 1:30 – 4:00 PM | Quiet | Rush cleared, flavors usually topped up. The sweet spot. |
| 4:00 – 6:30 PM | Moderate | Dinner trade, still comfortable. |
| 6:30 – 8:00 PM | Very quiet | Popular flavors and soups may have run out. |
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How to check your specific location
Hours are set franchise by franchise, so a chain-wide answer only gets you so far. Four ways to be certain, in order of reliability:
- Ring them. Old-fashioned, and the only method that is definitely current.
- Google Maps. Usually accurate and shows holiday exceptions, which store locators often do not.
- The Chicken Salad Chick app. Shows hours for your saved restaurant and current item availability.
- The official store locator on chickensaladchick.com.
If you are planning catering, confirm early — a Sunday or holiday closure will quietly wreck an event plan, and catering lead times are set locally too.
Why hours vary at all
Nearly every Chicken Salad Chick is franchise-owned. Franchisees set their own trading hours within brand guidelines, based on local demand, staffing and shopping-centre lease terms. A unit inside a mall with a mandated closing time behaves differently from a standalone near an office park.
The same structure is why menu prices differ by 10–20% between markets, and why some locations have drive-thrus and curbside while most do not. Treating any single answer as universal will eventually leave you outside a locked door.
Opening and closing time questions
What time does Chicken Salad Chick open?
Most locations open at 10:00 or 10:30 AM, Monday to Saturday. The half-hour difference is real and set by the individual franchise — some open at ten, some at half past. There is no breakfast service, so nothing opens earlier.
What time does Chicken Salad Chick close?
8:00 PM at most locations, Monday to Saturday. Food service runs right up to closing — there are no fryers to shut down, so unlike most fast food there is no separate kitchen close before the doors lock.
Is Chicken Salad Chick open on Sunday?
Most locations are closed on Sunday. It began as a founding-family tradition rather than corporate policy, which is why it is no longer universal — a growing number of franchisees now trade on Sundays with shorter hours, commonly 11:00 AM to 6:00 or 7:00 PM. Check your specific restaurant. Full detail on the hours page.
What time is Chicken Salad Chick busiest?
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with Friday the heaviest day. This is fundamentally a lunch restaurant that also serves dinner. Evening trade is much lighter — arrive between 5:00 and 7:00 PM on a weeknight and most locations are near empty.
Can I still order everything right before closing?
The menu is available until close, but popular flavors and soups can run out late in the day. Chicken salad is made in batches in the morning, so the best-sellers are the ones most likely to be gone by 7:45. Ordering ahead through the app shows current availability.