Brief
Chick‑fil‑A CEO Andrew Cathy traces family roots and growth to $24 billion sales
The CEO links the chain’s success to its founder’s poverty‑era beginnings, a secret chicken sandwich recipe and a Christian‑based corporate culture.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Chick‑fil‑A, now the United States’ third‑largest restaurant chain behind McDonald’s and Starbucks, posted nearly $24 billion in sales last year, CEO Andrew Cathy told NBC News’ Business in America series.
Cathy recounted that his grandfather, Tru‑ett Cathy, grew up in extreme poverty in Georgia, lived in the state’s first government housing, and after World War II started a diner called the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville in 1946 with his brother Ben. A local supplier later offered them rejected chicken breasts from Delta Air Lines, prompting Tru‑ett to create the sandwich that became the chain’s signature item when the first Chick‑fil‑A restaurant opened in 1967.
Leadership passed to Tru‑ett’s son Dan Cathy, and Andrew Cathy assumed the CEO role in 2021. He said the core chicken sandwich recipe has remained unchanged since 1967, though he declined to reveal its exact ingredients. The company now operates around 3,000 locations worldwide, including recent expansions to the United Kingdom and Singapore.
Family faith has shaped corporate policy. Chick‑fil‑A has never opened on Sundays, a practice Andrew Cathy said was instituted by his grandfather and great‑uncle to allow staff time for church and rest. The chain’s mission statement, he explained, is to “Glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.”
The company’s Christian stance sparked controversy in 2012 when Dan Cathy publicly endorsed the “biblical definition of the family unit,” prompting protests, boycotts and counter‑boycotts. A record‑setting “Chick‑fil‑A Appreciation Day” on Aug. 1, 2012, saw supporters flood restaurants. The firm has also donated millions to Christian groups, drawing criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates. Andrew Cathy responded to backlash by emphasizing the brand’s focus on food and hospitality, saying, “We’ve always been focused on serving great food and hospitality, and so for anybody that comes in the door, we’re going to continue do that.”
Key facts
- Chick‑fil‑A posted nearly $24 billion in sales in the last fiscal year. (nbcnews.com)
- The chain operates about 3,000 locations worldwide, including new sites in the U.K. and Singapore. (nbcnews.com)
- Founder Tru‑ett Cathy opened the first Chick‑fil‑A restaurant in 1967 after developing a chicken sandwich from rejected airline chicken breasts. (nbcnews.com)
- Chick‑fil‑A has never been open on Sundays, a policy rooted in the family’s Christian faith. (nbcnews.com)
- Andrew Cathy became CEO in 2021, succeeding his father Dan Cathy. (nbcnews.com)
Sources
- [1] nbcnews.com — originally reported as “Chick-fil-A bet on chicken 60 years ago. Now it’s America’s third largest restaurant chain”
