Chick-fil-A generated $16.7 billion in sales in 2021 and is the third largest restaurant chain in the United States behind Starbucks and McDonald’s.ģ. The first Chick-fil-A opened in 1967 in Atlanta and since then the chain has grown steadily with the 1982 being the only year in Chick-fil-A’s history where it experienced a decline in same store sales.Ģ. If you are curious about the fast food chain that has its sights on toppling McDonald’s from its perch as the largest restaurant chain in the United States, here’s everything you need to know.ġ. Gone are the days when everyone is grabbing a sub for lunch and instead people are spending their dollars at Chick-fil-A.Ĭhick-fil-A’s success is even more impressive since its stores are not even open on Sundays. What exactly are the secrets to Chick-fil-A’s success? Great customer service as well as staying within its of niche of selling chicken sandwiches has helped Chick-fil-A leap frog over its competitors. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Who knew you could make so much money selling chicken sandwiches? Chick-fil-A clearly did and its success is enough to make any existing or aspiring restauranteur envious. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. For NPR News, I'm John Lorinc in Atlanta.Ĭopyright © 2014 NPR. After each transaction, employees are taught to always say two words - my pleasure. LORINC: Cathy and Chik-fil-A made a name for themselves by stressing customer service. Last year Chik-fil-A earned five billion dollars and overtook KFC as the biggest-selling fast food chicken chain in the country, drawn in perhaps by the company's well-known ad campaign featuring cows on billboards and commercials urging customers to. Many customers chose to focus, instead, on the fried chicken sandwiches, the waffle fries and the sweet tea. But the controversy didn't prevent the company from continuing to grow. The comments drew protests from gay rights groups and many politicians. A few years ago he criticized gay marriage and defended what he described as the biblical definition of a family. LORINC: Cathy's son, Dan, is now chairman and president of the chain. He lived it - 'cause he could've made billions of dollars more by opening on - over the years - by opening on Sunday. LORINC: Cathy's religious beliefs inspired loyalty among many customers including Britt Kugler (ph), who keeps coming back each week.īRITT KUGLER: He really believed that it was the Sabbath and you shouldn't work on the Sabbath, and he lived it. He taught the fifth-graders at Jonesboro First Baptist. I just - I seen him every Sunday at church. VICTORIA SMITH: He was like a grandfather. LORINC: Victoria Smith has waited table for 20 years at that original diner in Hapeville, Georgia. TRUETT CATHY: It has proven to my interest financially as well as convenience of permitting our people to have Sunday off where they can forget the business and other interests - devote it to the family as well as to worship if they so choose. It was a company policy that he steadfastly defended and justified. Decades later, he and his brother opened a diner and that center became the building block of a fast food chain that now counts more than 1,800 restaurants in 40 states.Ĭathy attributed his material success to a mix of customer service, hard work and Christian values - values which drove him to keep all Chick-fil-A restaurants closed on Sunday. At eight years old, he set up a stand in his front yard and started selling six bottles of Coke for a quarter. Truett Cathy grew up during the Depression. From member station WABE, John Lorinc reports. He grew up in poverty, and he became a billionaire. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A. Christianity, chicken sandwiches and good customer service - that was the winning combination for S.
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